Jetsetter Winter 2019/20 Issue

ON THE TEAK TRAIL IN CHIANG MAI TEAK WALLAHS, TEMPLES AND BOUTIQUE HOTELS

DINING ON THE RAILS

DINNER WITH MICHEL ROUX JR ON THE BELMOND BRITISH PULLMAN

ISLAND HOPPING IN NORWAY PRIVATE JET ROUNDUP

K11 ARTUS HONG KONG

TEN SOUTHEAST ASIAN RESORTS

In November 2017, The Strand Yangon completed its transformation into Yangon’s finest urban resort with the addition of a new outdoor swimming pool, dining terrace, therapy rooms, gym and private garden.

Highly acclaimed as one of South East Asia’s leading luxury hotels since it was founded in 1901 by the Sarkies brothers, The Strand Yangon has then become the social epicentre of Yangon for locals and international travellers.

Named after its sister property, The Strand Cruise is a luxury 25-cabin river cruiser sailing Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady River offering 2-, 3-and 4-night itineraries between Mandalay and Bagan - recently listed World Heritage by UNESCO. Until 30 April 2020, reserve your stay wtih the code GLAM to enjoy 15% off.

HOTELTHESTRAND.COM 92 STRAND ROAD, YANGON, MYANMAR +95 124 3377 INFO@HOTELTHESTRAND.COM

THESTRANDCRUISE.COM AYEYARWADY RIVER, MYANMAR +95 124 3377 - 92 CAPTAIN@THESTRANDCRUISE.COM

(Puer)

(Dahongpao)

2/F, The Tea House, Building No.6, Fortune Plaza, 7 DongSanHuan Middle Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, P.R.China

北京市朝阳区东三环中路七号院六号楼二层，茗滙天下

年的光辉

PREMIERE CHOICE OVER YEARS

Building No.6, Fortune Plaza, 7 DongSanHuan Middle Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, P.R.China Tel: +86-10-8588-2888 Fax: +86-10-8588-2889 Email: leasing@millenniumresidencesbeijing.com www.millenniumhotels.com

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Editor's Note

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hether it’s ascending the Andes to marvel at the remote, crumbling city of Macchu Picchu or hiring a Mustang for a road trip across the US that takes in historic Route 66, most of us have a destination on our bucket list that’s particularly alluring. For me, that place was Norway, with its glaciers, fjords and Vikings. After more than four decades dreaming of a trip to the land of the midnight sun, I finally headed there last Autumn, and was awestruck as the gentle green glow of the Northern lights danced across the sky. I also tried my hand at cheesemaking (cheese with seaweed is really great – who knew?) and delighted in the sight of snow in October, which was the earliest this Brit has ever encountered it. Read all about it on our cover feature on p58.

If the sight Norway’s snow-clad mountains leave you cold, then warm up with our feature on 10 don’t-miss resorts in Southeast Asia (p76), from laid-back barefoot boutique properties like Purist Villas in Ubud to the gorgeous grandeur of the St. Regis Singapore, with its 24-hour butler service and sublime cocktails. There’s also a feature on Chiang Mai (p116), which investigates the teak wallahs, the gentlemen foresters who once resided there, with heritage hotel 137 Pillars.

Elsewhere in the issue, Nick Walton takes us on a luxury safari to the Serengeti (p108), Robyn Tucker-Peck presents a formidable round-up of private jets (p90) and we step onboard Belmond’s Pullman at London Victoria to relive the golden age of dining, with dinner cooked by the inimitable Michel Roux Jr (p100).

Denis Fahy

denis@jetsetter-magazine.com Publisher

Helen Dalley

helen.dalley@jetsetter-magazine.com Managing Editor

Nick Walton

Contributing Editor

Jean Sicard

jean.sicard@jetsetter-magazine.com Reporter

Don Pierre Riosa

don@jetsetter-magazine.com Art Director

Paul Lo

paul.lo@jetsetter-magazine.com General Manager (Shanghai)

Tammy Fong

tammy@jetsetter-magazine.com Travel Industry Relationship Director

Fatima Cameira

fatima@jetsetter-magazine.com Marketing Director

Laurence James

laurence.james@jetsetter-magazine.com Chief Representative Europe

Darryl Scott

d.scott@jetsetter-magazine.com Advertising Director

Wishing you a terrific new decade ahead!

JETSETTER is registered as a newspaper & periodical.

Helen Dalley Managing Editor Robyn-Tucker Peck Robyn brings more than 30 years’ magazine experience working in London, Chicago, Hong Kong and Vancouver for magazines including Cosmopolitan, Tatler and Homes and Gardens.

Her experience in the luxury industry worldwide has given her an expansive story telling capability, working with companies in the aviation, yachts and fashion industry. Read Robyn’s insightful private jet round-up on p90.

Nick Walton

Jetsetter’s contributing editor, Nick Walton is a Hong Kong-based travel journalist and magazine editor with 18 years’ magazine and newspaper experience.

The former travel editor of the South China Morning Post, he is group managing editor for Artemis Communications titles, which include Alpha Men Asia, Explorer and The Art of Business Travel.

Read Nick’s luxury safari story on p108 and his review of Ethiopian Airlines flight from Hong Kong to Addis Ababa on p124.

JETSETTER is published by Jetsetter Ltd JETSETTER is printed by Jetsetter Ltd Suite A:14/F Bangkok Bank Building, 28 Des Voeux Rd, Central, Hong Kong Level 20 HKRI Centre Tower 2 288 Shimen 1st Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai, China 200041 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-5706 Valley Cottage, NY 10989 USA Tel +852 28557885

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All rights Reserved: Copyright and distribution rights are reserved exclusively for Jetsetter Ltd, their partners, associates and affiliates. All materials published remain the property of the publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission. All information contained in this publication is from a reliable source. Jetsetter Ltd does not make any guarantees to the accuracy of the information contained.

Contents WINTER 2020

48

58

76

100

38 City Guide

90 Feature

124 Turning Left

Beijing Familiarise yourself with the city’s art galleries and discover the best cocktail bars and finest clubs

Tired of waiting at airports? Robyn TuckerPeck rounds up the latest private jets

Nick Walton reviews Ethiopian Airlines’ Hong Kong to Addis Ababa route

Beijing

Jetting Away

Gateway to Africa

98 Insider

132 In the Kitchen

Meet a trio of pioneering adventurers: Levison Wood, Namira Salim and Borge Ousland

The President of Artyzen Hospitality, Robbert Van Der Maas, says the brand is focused on experiences rather than amenities

French chef Renaud Marin puts a high-end spin on wellness cuisine at Rosewood Hong Kong’s Asaya Kitchen

58 Feature

100 Feature

134 Restaurant review

Remote, beautiful and soul-stirring, Norway’s northwestern isles are novocaine for the soul, says Helen Dalley

Experience the golden age of dining on the Belmond British Pullman

Mitsuru Konishi’s Hong Kong restaurant, Zest by Konishi, is reviewed by Nick Walton

48 Interviews

Modern-day Explorers

Arctic Adventure

70 Hotel Review

An art-inspired stay

Positioning itself as a residence rather than a hotel, K11 Artus offers artistic inspiration at every turn, says Helen Dalley 76 Feature

Ten don’t-miss Southeast Asian resorts

Whether it’s serene spas or sumptuous dining you crave, we present ten fabulous Southeast Asian resorts designed to hit the spot

A New Vision of Hospitality

Refreshment on the Rails

Eco-friendly Eats

Fabulous Fusion

108 Feature

Serengeti Safari

ON THE TEAK TRAIL IN CHIANG MAI TEAK WALLAHS, TEMPLES AND BOUTIQUE HOTELS

Familiarise yourself with the sights and sounds of the Serengeti in style with Nick Walton

DINING ON THE RAILS

DINNER WITH MICHEL ROUX JR ON THE BELMOND BRITISH PULLMAN

116 Feature

On the teak trail in Chiang Mai

Uncover the tales and trials of the teak wallahs in Chiang Mai with the 137 Pillars boutique hotel

ISLAND HOPPING IN NORWAY PRIVATE JET ROUNDUP

K11 ARTUS HONG KONG

TEN SOUTHEAST ASIAN RESORTS

Cover image og Manhausen Island, Norway

by Steve King

Diary Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Carnival

West Kowloon Cultural District Art Park, Hong Kong 25-28 January See in the Year of the Rat by watching the lion and dragon dances at the Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Carnival, which takes place on the first day of the Lunar New Year. The carnival also features floats and performances by international performing groups.

Where to stay: To be well positioned for the carnival, stay at the Kowloon Shangri-La, a 688-room property with a cool Oriental theme. Located on the waterfront, it has seven restaurants, including much-loved Italian, Angelini. shangri-la.com

Ice Magic Festival Banff, Alberta 15-26 January

This world-class ice carving event sees skilled artists from around the world carve breathtaking sculptures with Lake Louise as their backdrop during the 12-day event. Watch the carvers prepare for the competition on 15 & 16 January before the main event on the 17th. After that, there are ice carving demos, and opportunities for snowshoeing, dogsledding and cross-country skiing.

Where to stay: Rooms at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise offers breathtaking views of the surrounding Rocky Mountains and, of course, that lake. Plan a custom-designed mountain adventure then enjoy an authentic fondue experience at the Walliser Stube. fairmont.com

Super Bowl LIV

Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida 2 February Frequently the most-watched American television broadcast of the year, the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL) is typically played annually between the champion of the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The culmination of a regular season that begins in the late summer of the previous year, it will feature half-time shows from Jennifer Lopez and Shakira for its 54th iteration. nfl.com

Where to stay: Situated on the Icon Brickell bayfront, W Miami boasts comfortable interiors designed in the Hollywood Regency style. Pull up a chair at Addikit for local snapper and stellar views of downtown Miami from its 15th floor spot. marriott.com

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Diary

SNOWBOMBING Nyepi Bali 22-23 March

If you’re looking to live it up in Bali, then don’t visit during Nyepi, a Hindu celebration and public holiday in Indonesia that’s a day of silence, fasting and meditation for the Balinese. The third of a six-day celebration of the Balinese New Year sees the entire island come to a standstill, with no scheduled incoming or outgoing flights from Ngurah Rai. The evening before, you can catch the ogoh-ogoh parades, where scary papier mache effigies are carried through the streets. bali.com

Mardi Gras New Orleans 25 February

Widely acknowledges as one of the greatest free shows on earth, the New Orleans Mardi Gras parades are legendary, with floats and marching bands accompanied by people in elaborate costume adding colour and atmosphere to the spectacle. Many people watch the parade from the balconies as they chow down on Cajun and Creole dishes and sink a cocktail or two. mardigrasneworleans.com

Where to stay: Get in touch with your spiritual side by checking into Alila Villas Ulutwatu, a clifftop retreat located close to the Uluwatu temple. As activities are limited to your room, unwind in the private pool, or book an in-room spa treatment. alilahotels.com

Where to stay: Created by joining five traditional neighbourhood houses featuring French doors and wrought iron balconies, Maison du Puy enjoys a prime French quarter location, being just two blocks away from Bourbon Street in the heart of the Vieux Carre. The jazz brunch on Sundays at Bistreaux is soundtracked by local musicians. maisondupuy.com

Cherry blossom season Various locations, Japan End of March

Signalling the beginning of Spring, the blooming of the cherry blossom tree is cause for much excitement across Japan. The cherry blossom forecast for 2020 says the sakura will start to open on 21 March in Tokyo, with peak bloom being 27 March.

As they’re only in full bloom for a maximum of two weeks, we suggest you start planning that trip quicksmart… unless you’re headed north, in which case they usually bloom around four to six weeks later. livejapan.com

Where to stay: With new French fine dining restaurant, Esterre, in place, Palace Hotel Tokyo is worth checking out, particularly given the fact that it’s situated just opposite the Imperial Palace Gardens – perfect for a spot of hanami (flower viewing). The hotel is also home to the only Evian Spa in Japan. palacehoteltokyo.com

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constancehotels.com MAURITIUS

• SEYCHELLES • MALDIVES • MADAGASCAR

Room With A View

HITTING THE RIGHT NOTES The Musician’s Penthouse at Corinthia London is fit for music royalty

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Room With A View

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aking its debut in 1885 as the Metropole hotel and relaunched as the Corinthia in 2011, this grand triangular-shaped building was commandeered in both world wars due to its proximity to the Palaces of Westminster and government offices in Whitehall.

Being so centrally located means great views are a given, with Whitehall Suites overlooking Great Scotland Yard and Trafalgar Suites offering vistas of Nelson’s Column. The penthouses take things up another notch, with knock-out vistas over the London skyline that are hard to beat. At the Musician’s Penthouse, the accommodation resembles a harmonious living/entertaining “venue”, where an entourage can gather round as you tinker on the Steinway Model O grand piano with a little something from the Credenza cocktail cabinet in hand. But it’s the large roof terrace with feature fireplace that’s the real attraction, which boasts breathtaking views over the London skyline, including the London Eye, the Shard and Saint Pauls.

With access to an extensive private wine collection, why not end the night (or catch the early dawn) with a glass or two as you drink in the London skyline… after you’ve painted the town red by utilising your own personal driver, of course. Watching the sun come up over the city, you might just be inspired to pen that song you’ve been meaning to write… corinthia.com

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Introducing

GUANGZHOU

GLAM

Rosewood Guangzhou adds a further dash of cool to one of China’s most stylish cities There’s a strong Chinese aesthetic at work throughout Rosewood Guangzhou

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ocated in the heart of Guangzhou’s cosmopolitan Tianhe District on the top 39 floors of the 108-story CTF Finance Centre, Rosewood Guangzhou can lay claim to being the world’s tallest five-star hotel. Guests can ascend the building via the world’s fastest elevator (it travels at 21 metres per second) and raise a glass in China’s highest bar & restaurant, Brick Iron, on the 107th floor.

The hotel’s design influences are unquestionably local, with New York design duo Yabu Pushelberg utilising materials and textiles that reference ancient Chinese crafts – think vermillion-red lacquered doors, traditional silk screens and wood-and-bronze etched mirrors. On the walls, there’s works from Sichuan-born artist Zhuang Hong Yi, contemporary Chinese artist Pan Jian and landscape paintings by Zhengzhou-born Ye

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Cheng. In a further nod to Rosewood’s artistic credentials, the hotel invited Qin Feng and Kaixuan Feng to create experimental Chinese ink painting and calligraphy artworks for guests to gaze at.

The hotel’s 251 guestrooms include 31 suites and four duplex suites, with most overlooking the Pearl River. One of the hotel’s signature rooms, the Rosewood Terrace Suite is the only suite in the city with its own private terrace.

Lingnan House, the hotel’s Chinese restaurant on the fifth floor, showcases traditional Cantonese cuisine, while one floor up, Brick Lane provides a more casual setting with 10 beers on tap. Spa lovers are well catered for too: at 2,628 sqm, Sense is the largest destination for fitness and well-being among hotels in southern China. rosewoodhotels.com

Introducing

Mandala. The Bay blends traditional Balinese architecture with modernist interiors and artworks

THRILLER

OF A VILLA

Mandala. The Bay on Nusa Lembongan redefines the five-star villa experience in Bali

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f great design is paramount when you’re holidaying, then consider booking a stay at Mandala. The Bay, a five-bedroom cliff-side villa on the island of Nusa Lembongan. A cool mix of traditional Balinese architecture and modernist interiors & artworks, the residence is part of the Mandala Places portfolio, a stylish collection of Bali-based properties from Singapore’s M. Group.

Being situated on a small isle off Bali’s southeast coast, Mandala. The Bay offers blissful respite from busy South Bali, with untouched white sandy beaches and great diving, surfing and snorkelling opportunities. Boasting five individuallydesigned king bedrooms spread over 1,200 sqm, stand out elements include a master bedroom housed in a Joglo structure carved

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from teak, entertaining space with bar, ocean-view swimming pool and a library.

Brightened by bougainvillea and heady with frangipani, the garden delivers a blissful backdrop to long, lazy lunches under the pergola in the outdoor dining area. Towards the cliff's edge sits a firepit surrounded by banquette seats carved from rock in the cliffside that directly faces the crashing waves at Devil’s Tear across the bay.

Like its sister properties within the Mandala Places portfolio, a concierge is always on hand with their black book of contacts to arrange excursions, spa services, personal trainers, private yoga classes, surf lessons, private bartenders and restaurant reservations. When can we check in? mandala.house

Introducing

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ituated in Istanbul’s well-heeled Sariyer district on the city’s European side, Six Senses Kocatas Mansions boasts knockout views over the Bosphorous, one of the world’s most strategic waterways separating Europe and Asia, as it begins its last curve towards the Black Sea.

HISTORY MEETS

HOSPITALITY Six Senses transforms two Ottoman-era mansions along the Bosphorous

The resort, which also incorporates the Sait Paşa Mansion next door, has sensitively restored this duo of Ottomanera buildings, with details such as original timber flooring and marble tiles. Rooms at the 45-room hotel accentuate the mansion’s high ceilings, while the Sky Loft room is the place for a spot of stargazing. Similarly unique is the Cistern Suite, a duplex that repurposes an old cistern into a chic oval-shaped bathroom.

Showcasing Pan-Latin and Asian cuisine, Toro Latin Gastro Bar is the resort’s main dining space, and features a bar orchestrated by a mixologist should you fancy a pre-dinner cocktail. Keen to sample an authentic Turkish coffee and pastry? Then head to all-day café Kahve, which is located in a bohemian-style gilded hall. Due to open this Spring, the resort’s spa facilities include five treatment rooms, an anti-aging centre and, of course, hammams.

Want to linger on the Bosphorous? Step aboard the resort’s private boat, which is moored in front of the mansions, for excursions along this iconic waterway. sixsenses.com

Get acquainted with Turkey’s European side at Six Senses Kocatas Mansions

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Introducing

A SECRET GARDEN SANCTUARY Check into Aman Kyoto, a secluded otherworldly retreat in Japan’s cultural capital

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et in a secret garden at the heart of a 32-hectare forest, Aman Kyoto made its hushed debut last November, a tranquil 26-room resort that’s within easy reach of the city’s 17 UNESCO heritage sites.

Kerry Hill Architects, which also oversaw Aman Tokyo and Amanemu, has created light filled interiors that pay homage to the traditional ryokan inn from the resort’s secluded location. Rooms boast floorto-ceiling windows framing the natural surroundings, tokonoma (alcoves where items for artistic appreciation are presented) and large ofuro bathtubs crafted from hinoki cypress wood.

With handmade raku tile panels and custom-

Kyoto cool: the terrace at Aman Kyoto’s Living Pavilion

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made ceramic tiles, the Living Pavilion restaurant is the heart of the resort, withn a central fireplace and floor-to-ceiling glass doors opening onto an ornate terrace overlooking the Kerry Hill garden, where executive chef Kentaro Torii serves Kyotostyle cuisine. Taka-an, the resort’s Japanese restaurant, honours the legacy of artist Honami Koetsu who helped shape the culture of Takagamine, the area in which Aman Kyoto resides, by creating an artist’s colony there.

The natural spring water that flows underneath Aman Kyoto it utilised to deliver traditional onsen bathing facilities, while treatments incorporate local ingredients, including Kyoto green tea, local saké, and cold-pressed camellia oil. aman.com

NEW ROUTE

MACAU to HANOI

Daily flight from 16/12/2019 Ticket at price available Ticketspecial at special price available For more details Book: vietnamairlines.com

Download App Call: (852) 2810 6680

Like: fb/vietnamairlinesHK

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member

Inspire Jet away to Lapland this Winter with Vistajet

Winter Wonderland

Luxe it up in Lapland with private aviation firm Vistajet

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rivate aviation company Vistajet is experiencing rapid growth across Asia-Pacific, having seen a 26 per cent increase in flights across the region over 2018.

The service is not only aimed at business travellers but also those travelling for leisure, so if you’re looking to impress family this Winter with a quintessentially festive trip (and skip those security checks at the airport), Vistajet World has curated a wintry excursion, Myths and Legends in Lapland, Germany & Finland. As you savour the inflight experience – Italian leather seats that convert to a real bed, butler-trained staff and menus created in collaboration with Michelin-starred restaurants – you can look forward to a trip that incorporates dog-sledding, zooming

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on snowmobiles and snowshoeing through Alpine snowscapes.

The trip can be tailored according to each group’s interests, with options including searching for the aurora borealis on your Vistajet flight to Lapland. Once you arrive at Finland’s northernmost region, visits to snow-capped forests, vast frozen lakes and glaciers can all be arranged, as can stays in private log cabins where you can warm up in the sauna, with transport by dog-sled. There’s also the option to try your hand at ice-fishing and ice floating, or take a day trip to Kirkenes in Northeast Norway, and feast on local delicacies like king crabs. Alternatively, find your warmest clothes and layer up to spend a night or two in a luxury igloo created by local ice designers. vistajet.com

Inspire Chinese New Year is a great time to hit the Swiss slopes

Family Adventures on the Piste

Carve up the Swiss Slopes this Chinese New Year with Powder Byrne

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ake to the slopes this Chinese New Year in the Swiss alpine village of Arosa with specialist tour operator Powder Byrne, which has launched its first Chinese New Year programme for guests and families based in Asia from 25 January-1 February 2020.

Falling after the traditional high season weeks for European families, the Swiss slopes are decidedly peaceful during the Chinese New Year break, and there’s plenty of great hotels to check into, including The Tschuggen Grand Hotel, one of the leading five-star hotels in the Swiss Alps, with Michelinstarred cuisine at La Vetta and its own private mountain railway. Looking for something more contemporary? The Valsana Hotel & Apartments has established itself as one of the hottest properties in the region thanks to its cool design concept, lakeside location and proximity to the slopes.

Complimentary ski guiding is provided for adults (including pre-booked lunch stops at the best mountain restaurants), so guests can leave their piste map behind. If you’re not a skier, activities including winter walks and snowshoeing can be arranged, as can treatments at some of the most luxurious spas in the Alps.

Younger kids can practise their snow ploughs with the Yeti ski programme for 4-9-year olds, while 10-14 year olds can join SnoZone and SnoZone Beginners. Baby or toddler in tow? The Powder Byrne crèche and Yeti Primer programmes will watch little ones from four months to four years while you perfect those parallel turns. powderbyrne.com

City Guide – Beijing

Beijing Beau Get to grips with inspiring art, creative cocktails and exclusive clubs in the Chinese capital

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City Guide – Beijing

Top Bar at the Intercontinental Beijing Sanlitun

Red Brick Art Museum

ART

COCKTAILS

The City Society

CLUBS

Acquaint yourself with the greats of Chinese traditional and contemporary art

Raise a toast to the finest mixes and mixologists in the city

Check into the city’s private membership clubs and its finest executive lounges

Housed in an disused 1950s factory, the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art (ucca.org.cn) has more than 10,000 sqm of space spread across three buildings, and champions China’s contemporary art scene, with exhibitions from some of its leading lights, including Xu Bing and Zeng Fanzhi.

Formerly The Grand Hotel de Pekin and regarded as one the most luxurious hotels in the Orient since its debut in 1917, the Writers Bar at Beijing Hotel NUO (nuohotel.com) invites guests to enjoy the chandelier splendour of its original drawing room, which is framed by French windows and features a 1920s polished wooden dance floor. Order up a taste of history with a Chancellor Old Fashioned or a Princess’ Afternoon.

If you’re in Beijing regularly, consider investing in a private membership at The City Society (thecitybeijing.com), where curated events, such as wine tastings and private dining dinners hosted by Michelin-starred chefs await. If you’re in town for business, meet clients at the Lounge or The Study, which is more secluded. Alternatively, linger over a coffee in The Library.

The Red Brick Art Museum (redbrickartmuseum. org) features several works from one of the artists of the moment, Olafur Eliasson, including his installation, The Unspeakable Openness of Things, and it’s hosting an exhibition by British artist Sarah Lucas until 16 February.

The Westin Beijing Chaoyang (westin.com) lobby lounge, Exchange, is a cool, contemporary space where you can savour Westin’s signature cocktails, which can be paired with a sweet from the East-meets-West dessert list.

No art tour of Beijing is complete without a visit to the 798 Art District (798district. com), where galleries and artists’ studios line up against restaurants and bars in a former weapons factory. Featured artists include China heavyweights Ai Wei Wei, Wang Xingwei and Yue Minjun.

Guests can select from a solid range of single malt whiskey at the Intercontinental Beijing Sanlitun’s Top Bar (ihg.com) and clink glasses on the outdoor terrace. Before your whiskey, dig into a steak at the adjacent Char Bar & Grill.

Aiming to create a dialogue between East and West, The Museum of Contemporary Art Beijing (moca-beijing.com) showcases the work of Chinese and international artists, with recent exhibition The Crossroads of the World being a good example of its intentions.

Looking for something assuredly laid-back?

Cocktail bar 50/50, with its minimalist décor and playful menus, might be just the ticket.

Order up a Hanky Panky, Tom Collins or a Penicillin, or opt for the bar’s session cocktail, which are displayed in crystal kegs.

Looking for something more traditional? Try the National Art Museum of China (namoc. org) for fine Chinese oils, lacquer paintings and ink and brush works celebrating natural scenes.

Hidden behind a passcode-activated code, there’s no official menu at Infusion Room, but they know how to shake up classic cocktails with a twist, case in point being an Aged Manhattan with sous-vide oolong-infused bourbon

Another esteemed club for private members is The Capital Club (thecapitalclub.com), which offers corporate and individual memberships.

Facilities include a gym, swimming pool, bowling alley and tennis courts, while private rooms can be used to host everything from breakfast meetings to birthday parties.

It’s worth check into one of Rosewood Beijing’s (rosewoodhotels.com) executive rooms or suites just so you can enjoy the Manor Club, which allows guests to invite family & friends inside to enjoy facilities including the swimming pool and fitness studio. While invited guests’ consumption are charged accordingly, it’s nevertheless a beautiful residential-style space.

Open 24 hours a day, The Ritz-Carlton Beijing’s Club Level (ritzcarlton.com) offers five complimentary F&B presentations daily, including hors’ d’oeuvres and alcoholic beverages from 5pm to 10pm from an inviting space that sees chess boards cosy up to fragrant flower arrangements.

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

INDIAN OCEAN SWING Experience a luxury golfing holiday in the Indian Ocean with Constance Hotels & Resorts

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

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hose looking to practise their swing and improve their handicap while also savouring the beauty of the Indian Ocean should consider checking into Constance Hotels & Resorts, which boasts three 18-hole golf courses across a trio of extraordinary resorts. Guests at Constance Belle Mare Plage and Constance Prince Maurice in Mauritius can access the Links and Legend Golf Course, while those staying at Constance Lemuria in the Seychelles can tee off at the Lemuria golf course.

With crystal-blue ocean views and white sandy beaches providing an arresting backdrop, Constance Belle Mare Plage has hosted the MCB Tour Championship, the last leg of the European Senior Tour, for the past eleven years. The second stage of the competition, meanwhile, saw the first-ever professional tournament played in the Seychelles at Constance Lemuria. Regarding Constance Belle Mare Plage’s involvement in this prestigious championship, Jean-Jacques Vallet, CEO of Constance Hotels, Resorts & Golf says: “This competition, which each year welcomes more and more champions, has allowed us to place Mauritius as a golf destination of choice in the eyes of the world for nearly a decade.”

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Set along one of the most beautiful beaches in Mauritius, the Legend Golf Course was designed

by South African champion Hugh Baiocchi. The 18-holer is dramatically set in the heart of an indigenous forest and is built according to USPGA specifications, and equipped with Tif Dwarf grasses to help players hone their game in style.

Those who want to seriously test their game while holidaying in Mauritius should also consider teeing off at the Links Golf Course, which boasts a challenging 18 holes equipped with a practice fairway. It is built according to USPGA specifications and designed by pro golfers Rodney Wright and Peter Allis.

While experienced golfers can grab their clubs and tee off, beginners and novices can book golfing lessons at Links, which has its own golfing academy. Coaching sessions are available individually and as part of a group,

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

and lessons follow the Marc Farry teaching method, which focuses on important aspects of the game like grip, posture, alignment and ball position.

Golf aficionados that are keen to holiday in the Seychelles, meanwhile, should reserve a room at Constance Lemuria, which has an 18hole course designed by Marc Farry and Rodney Wright. With stunning terraced greens, the par three 15th hole at the Lemuria Golf Course sees players tee off from an elevated position that looks out across the Indian Ocean before dropping down to the green from 165 yards.

Arguably one of the most spectacular par threes in the world, it’s definitely a hole that will test your golfing abilities.

Put your game through its paces as you enjoy world-class golfing facilities and a fabulous holiday in the sublime luxury of Constance Hotels & Resorts in Mauritius and the Seychelles. constancehotels.com

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Modern Day Explorers

Fearless

Adventurer

© Alberto Caceres

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Modern Day Explorers What are you up to at the moment?

I’ve been working on a book, called The Last Giants, which is all about African elephants and their evolutionary history and the threat of extinction. This summer, I’ll release a photography coffee table book and I’m also writing a philosophy book about what we can learn from our travels and other cultures, and the lessons I’ve learnt along the way. I’ve found that people are generally very kind and hospitable, and that’s one of the underlying messages.

Two of the UK’s most celebrated explorers, Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Sir Michael Palin, are big fans of yours. What does it mean to receive their support?

Yes, I’ve met both of them several occasions. Ranulph has given me several endorsements, and we’ve had a chat about my expeditions. He’s still going strong at 70-odd. If I’m still going strong when I’m that age, then good luck to me! I was fortunate enough to present Michael Palin with a Lifetime Achievement award, which was amazing. He’d watched my documentaries and it was all a bit overwhelming.

Which modern-day explorers do you admire and why?

Nirmal Purja, or Nims Dai [Former Gurkha who recently climbed fourteen 8,000m mountains in a record time of six months six days] and I have become good friends.

He’s a former soldier like myself and only left in March last year. His mission seemed like a bonkers idea, as even though he’s from Nepal, he’d never actually been to the mountains and had no experience outside of the military. He didn’t really know how to point a camera, so I offered to mentor him on the media side of things.

He’s a really inspiring character.

Was there anything in particular that inspired your passion to explore?

I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth – I grew up in Stoke-on-Trent. My Mum and Dad, who were both teachers, encouraged me to be curious. I went travelling at 18 on my gap year and that, combined with my experiences in the army, gave me the confidence to have a go. It’s good to encourage other people to look beyond the boundaries and teach them that anyone can be an explorer.

You have many achievements to be proud of in your life, from hitch-hiking along the Silkroad to walking the length of the river Nile, something no-one had ever done before. How

has your style of travelling evolved?

These days, I guess I’m focused on the work, and the end product. Making a documentary is obviously very different from going off backpacking. I’d love to go back to my roots and disappear with a backpack for a couple of weeks. I usually pack about 10 minutes before the flight! It doesn’t feel real until I’m sat on the plane.

You are an acclaimed writer, photographer & documentary maker. Do you consider yourself an explorer first and foremost, or does it all go hand in hand?

I never really call myself an explorer – it feels a bit weird to use that term! It conjures up images of khaki shorts and pith helmets. What I’m doing is documenting places and people, and the times we live in, and if that’s exploration, then great. If people ask what I do, I say I’m a writer, as that’s what I spend most of my time doing.

You witnessed the liberation of Sharqat during your circumnavigation of the Arabian peninsula. How does it feel to travel into areas as news is happening?

That was something else, travelling into Iraq on the final days of the fight against ISIS, and to get the access that we did, to witness that final fight, was dangerous and hair raising, to see what it was all about. We got ambushed by ISIS, so yes, I did feel scared, but we were in a convoy with 200 vehicles and tanks, so at least we were on the right side.

What are some of the most stressful situations you have found yourself in during your expeditions, and how have you negotiated that?

The good bits tend to be people, but the bad bits is also people: it can make or break a trip really. You can be a complete dump and still have a laugh if you’re with the right people,. Equally, you can be in paradise, but if you’re with the wrong crowd, it doesn’t matter.

To what extent has your army background made you into the explorer you are today?

That certainly gave me the confidence and skills to try.

I was travelling well before I went into the army. Travel was my first love but being in the army, and the paras, gives you credibility – people take you seriously. Being in the army was my rite of passage. levisonwood.com Levison’s book, The Last Giants: The Rise and Fall of the African Elephant, is out this April

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Modern Day Explorers

Polar PIONEER

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Modern Day Explorers You have many achievements to be proud of in your life. Which ones mean the most?

I think the first solo trek, that I did in 1994 (the first solo, unsupported journey to the North Pole from Cape Arktichevsky in Russia) is the one I’m most proud of Why? Because it was my first solo experience, and nothing beat those virgin feeling when you experience something for the first time.

Now that you are in your late 50s, are you still ambitious? Are there still journeys you would still really like to make?

You’re about to embark on another tour of the Arctic. Tell us where you’ll be going and what you’ll be doing

I’m going to cross the North Pole with [Swiss explorer] Mike Horn.

Mike and I previously skied to the North Pole in Winter, and we’re going to sail into the Polar Ocean with Mike’s boat, Pangaea. We’ll leave the boat at the ice edge and ski from there towards the North Pole and further across to Svalbard, an archipelago between Norway and the North Pole. We’ll be picked up by the same boat at the ice edge north of Svalbard.

You’ve completed many expeditions solo. What appeals to you about travelling alone and what are some of the most difficult things to deal with such as loneliness, making every decision on your own and motivating yourself

It’s interesting to be solo since there is no one to blame, it’s up to you to make your own decisions or mistakes, no one else. You get great satisfaction from mastering such elements solo, and at the same time you get a deeper dialogue with yourself when there’s no one to lean on. A big solo trip in the polar regions is a kind of meditation really.

Yes – adventure never stops, and I have still more expeditions planned. I’m crossing the 20 greatest icecaps in the world together with [French polar explorer] Vincent Colliard and we have so far done nine icecaps (they crossed both icecaps on Baffin island in Canada last year). We do this project to document what’s happening with the world glacier from a climate perspective.

You offer a wide range of trips, from crossing the North Patagonian Cap to Everest basecamp via Gokyo. Which are some of the most memorable trips you have led, and why?

My favourite is the North Pole, the pack ice and the fact that you camp on sea ice with 4,000 metres deep water beneath you is a special experience. People grow a lot on these trips and I like to see people grow.

You own an island, Manshausen, off Norway’s Northwest coast. Tell us about how you came to discover and own it

You are often described as the most accomplished polar explorer alive. Do you feel like that is a fair assessment?

I discovered and bought Manshausen because of the nature there. Everything I like to do, you can partake in there – fishing, hiking, diving – and the scenery is amazing. What we’ve tried to do with our awardwinning huts is to create that interaction with nature, and I feel like we’ve really succeeded with that.

Which modern-day explorers do you admire and why?

How is climate change impacting on your expeditions and trips, and do you expect it to have more of an impact in the next few years?

Oh, I don’t know, I hate to rank myself, there are so many good explorers, but there have probably not been anyone doing so many long solo treks to the Poles than me.

I think explorers like Reinhold Messner, that really broke barriers and did something new, that people before thought was impossible, is a great inspiration for all of us.

What inspired your passion to explore? And have you always wanted to be an explorer?

I think I’ve always been an explorer even if I didn’t know it before.

I always like adventure, the simple life of living in a tent, where you live in the here and now.

Climate change has had a huge effect in the polar regions, and we see that it’s happening here and now. The polar icecap is thinning and all the glaciers in the Arctic are receding, and we all know that a melting glacier at the end of the day will end up in the ocean and contribute to rising sea levels. Climate change is the biggest challenge humanity is faced with. It will turn the world upside down. ousland.no

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Modern Day Explorers

Space Cadet 52

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Modern Day Explorers Tell us how the Virgin Galactic preparations for its suborbital flights are going

We recently had an amazing dinner with all the luminaries from Virgin Galactic. The staff who were working in Mojave have now moved to [site of the world’s first purpose-built spaceport] in New Mexico, and there’s a lot of things going on there, with a lounge, and mission control area already in place.

Virgin has created a whole experience, not only for people going to space but also those people waiting for them.

Trying on my space suit was really exciting, and they’ve given us a diet and fitness programme. I was determined to become an astronaut from when I was a kid. I don’t know when I’ll make my suborbital spaceflight, but commercial operations are set to begin next year.

You were the first Pakistani to have reached the North Pole in 2007 and South Pole in 2008.

What were some of the biggest challenges you had to overcome in doing so?

I was invited by Richard to be part of the launch, and when he introduced me to the world press, the government of Pakistan introduced me as the first Pakistani astronaut.

I decided to go to the North Pole and went with a peace flag, and then discovered I could be the first Pakistani to visit the South Pole, too. I met these amazing people, who then inspired me to climb Everest. But then another fellow astronaut mentioned about this historic skydive, so I signed up for that and became the first Asian to skydive over Everest.

These are big achievements. How did you handle it?

There had been a plane crash just before we went to Everest, so it was a very tense time, and then there was the financial crisis. But I stuck it out and did it, and it was really fun. The most spiritual moment came when I was trekking in the Himalayas. It was tough after the crash, but my faith saw me through.

I did pray a lot, but I wasn’t frightened. I had to go through with it. My Mum kept calling me up, urging me not to do the skydive, but I thought if something happens, it happens.

Tell us what’s happening with your non-profit Space Trust at the moment I was in Washington DC for the International

Astronautical Congress last October. With Space Trust, we’re looking at how space can become a frontier for peace on Earth and also the privatisation of space. We’d like to arrange Zero G summits, and take politicians up to space, as we believe governments and world leaders can benefit from that [sense of perspective]. We’re going to develop a satellite to send peace messages to space and get the UN involved.

You recently released a single, Follow me to the Moon. Was that a process you enjoyed?

Definitely, and it was the right moment to explore it, with the 50th anniversary of the moon landing last year. The song is tribute to Apollo 11, but it’s also looking at the new space age – going to the moon again and Mars exploration.

I was the only Pakistani to congratulate India for their exploration of space. I’m a strong believer that borders can dissolve in space.

What inspired your passion for space and stargazing?

As a child, I my father introduced me to the constellations, and I bought [British astronomer] Patrick Moore’s Guide to the Stars. I used to spend a lot of time stargazing, and never lost sight of that as I entered adulthood. We used to go stargazing in Long Island, then at university in Colombia. I’ve even designed a line of jewellery inspired by the constellations, which is just about to launch in Beverly Hills.

What other expeditions, or journeys, would you like to make?

I’d like to perhaps do a round the world trip in a way that hasn’t been done before, and break another record. As for space, I think NASA needs to open space to developing countries, as women from my part of the world don’t tend to have these opportunities. Space is becoming more international, and opportunities should be provided to smaller countries. I’m not suggesting NASA send me, but I’d love to do an earth orbit.

How do you hope to inspire others?

I hope my story will encourage women to break barriers and promote peace. Now world leaders have the chance to go to space and see the world in a different way, just like astronauts have for the past 50 years. namirasalim.com

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Norway

NORTHERN SOUL

Clockwise from this page:

capturing the Northern Lights on camera; Manshausen island; cabins at Nusfjord Arctic Resort; retro stylings at Landhandleriet Cafe, Nusfjord

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Norway © Manshausen Island

© Nusfjord Arctic Resort

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Norway

F

amed for its opportunities to witness the Northern Lights in the Winter and the midnight sun in the Summer as well as its fjords and salmon, Norway has much to offer the traveller. While Oslø, Trondheim and Bergen deliver that big-city feel on the mainland, exploring the country’s many groups of islands that stretch along its extensive coastline arguably enables you to better grasp what Norwegian life and culture is all about, whether that’s surfing at one of the world’s most northernmost spots in the Lofoten islands, or heading up towards to the North Pole to Spitsbergen, which is home to more polar bears than people.

Beyond the big metropolises, Norway’s smaller cities are gaining traction. The gateway to the Lofoten islands, Bodø, an hour and a half’s flight from Oslø, is set to be European City of Culture in 2024 alongside Estonia’s Tartu and Austria’s Bad Ischl. The first European Capital of Culture to be located north of the Arctic Circle is certainly not without its charms. I discover colourful street art (artists were invited here in 2016 to decorate the city when it celebrated its 200th birthday), cute coffee shops and a swish library & cultural centre designed by London’s DRDH Architects set against the backdrop of the city’s busy harbour. “A lot of my friends and people of my generation from Bodø have moved back, and we’re proud to be part of the city as it undergoes transformation,” says Julie Abelsen of Visit Bodø as we sip lattes at Melkebaren, a sleek café in the centre of town, in the fading afternoon light.

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Roald conducts historical tours at Nusfjord; aerial view of the resort

ISLAND BOUND I’m travelling with boutique travel agency Up Norway, which has put together a detailed digital itinerary that leaves me breathless every time I read it, particularly the Northern lights photo expedition and stays in traditional rorbus (fishermen’s huts). With extensive local expertise, the company go beyond the traditional travel agency by linking you up with unique experiences and local people, and journeys can be tailored according to your interests, be that kayaking or cheesemaking.

The agency are only a text away should you have any questions during your trip.

Armed with my Travel Pass Nordland, which enables me to board unlimited ferries and buses for seven days for NOK990 (approximately HK$870) in this northern county, I leave Bodø for Nordskot, the nearest place to Manshausen, an isle offering 55 acres of quiet contemplation. After a one-and-a-half hour ferry journey northwest, I take a speedboat in the dark to make the 500-metre journey across to Manshausen, which is owned by polar explorer Børge Ousland (see interview on p50). He’s not here, alas, busy sailing the Polar Ocean with Swiss explorer Mike Horn. The explorer told me he loves the island for all the outdoor pursuits it offers, be that hiking and fishing or diving and kayaking.

Situated along the old stone jetty, my seacabin, Grønland (that’s

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Norway Greenland in Norwegian) is a stylish, minimalist space fashioned from wood, aluminium and glass.

There are no keys for the cabins and no locks on the door, which feels wonderfully freeing. The cabin is thrillingly situated over the shallows of the sea, while two chairs covered with sheepskin throws deliver prime views over the water over to Nordskot and the isle of Grøtøya, better appreciated when the sun rises tomorrow morning, when I’m woken by sheep loudly bleating outside my cabin. Watching the water’s gentle ripples, the odd fishing vessel puttering past against a backdrop of snowy mountains tinged yellow by the sun, is wonderfully meditative.

Once I’ve twirled around in the chair and gazed over at the few lights twinkling to my left on the neighbouring island of Grøtøya, I head over to the main house to meet my fellow Manshausen residents.The island only accommodates 16 guests and the dining room is quiet save for a low hum of conversation. I pull up a chair that seats six in the open kitchen/dining area. There is a wall of curios to my right from Borge’s trips – shells, driftwood, polar bear figurines – while upstairs is a lounge with sofas and bookshelves lined with tomes dedicated to exploration.

Dinner is three sumptuous courses of amazing food that champions local ingredients, including cauliflower, leeks, beetroot and broccoli from the island’s vegetable patch, all beautifully presented, particularly the roast potatoes on a rustic platter surrounded by shells and branches of Norwegian fir. There is little light anywhere on the island just in case the Northern Lights come out to play. Even car headlights can affect your chances of seeing them, says my host and the hotel’s manager, Jesper Hansen, a Dane who clearly adores the island’s steady, uninterrupted calm.

While the long journey to this beautiful corner of Norway has undoubtedly been worth it, I can’t help feeling a bit cast adrift, Robinson Crusoe style, in the Arctic. It really is so quiet here. Hansen calls it “positive loneliness” elaborating that Manshausen is popular with Norwegian celebrities due to its remote location.

This dad to a six-week old, monitor dangling round his neck, says all the staff love helping look after the baby.

It’s a heart-warming comment that demonstrates a surefire sense of community prevails on the island. Although it’s not people that are always first to be counted on Manshausen. “The sheep rule the island,” he laughs.

© Nusfjord Arctic Resort

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Norway After breakfast, I hitch a ride in the speedboat with Jesper over to Grøtøya for a hike, not laying eyes on a single soul for over two hours, the sun-dappled houses I encounter en route strangely silent. When a couple of hikers’ voices cut into my reverie, it takes me by surprise. Unperturbed, I take in the deep yellow of the trees, feel the springy heather underfoot and halfway through my circular walk of the island, am afforded a stellar view as I ascend the hill, the Grøtøya Strait lustrous at the bottom of the mountains under sunny Autumn skies.

AURORA ARRIVAL I’m upstairs in the library when, around 5pm, one of the staff heads upstairs and announces quite casually, ‘there are lights in the sky.’ Adrenaline takes over, the blood suddenly pumping round my body, as I rush downstairs, pulling on my hiking boots, hands impatiently tying my laces, before eagerly spilling out the door. Initially, it’s not so obvious, being more of a white band in the sky, a spectator beside me pointing it out while marvelling that she’s just seen a shooting star too. And then the band starts moving… it’s suddenly a wave, beams of warm green light dancing across the sky. My heart beats faster as I witness this gorgeous parade of nature, something I’ve been waiting to see most of my life now on display before me. There has been no lights in the past month, my fellow spectator informs, so I feel particularly lucky to be witness to it. Driven in by the cold, I reluctantly head back inside to the library to pick up my stuff, and try to watch it from the window, but it’s too bright indoors.

As evening arrives, it’s time to take the ferry back to Nordskot and two hours northwest to Svolvaer before transferring to Svinøya Rorbuer, 35 fishing cottages with low beams repurposed for tourists keen to explore the Lofoten islands that’s centrally situated in Svolvaer harbour… so central, in fact, that they perch on stilts above the water.

TAKING THE SCENIC ROUTE I’m only at Svinøya briefly, as Up Norway has

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© Fredrik Bye

arranged for Nina Hansen from the Svolvær Tourist office to pick me up first thing to drive us west along the National Scenic Route towards Unstad. Driving along the Lofoten Scenic Route with mountains on either side is like moving through a Nordic postcard… the light is forever changing, mostly warm and golden as it glitters on the mountains. I can see why many found inspiration here, like 19th century artists Gunnar Berg and Otto Sinding. We pull over to take a look at a sculpture that mirrors the surrounding mountains.

“It was deliberately put here, in the middle of nowhere, to encourage people to visit,” smiles Hansen as we take pictures in the surreal golden light.

We head west to the surfing school in Unstad, which can lay claim to being the most northern Arctic surf resort. Here, we meet owner Tommy Olsen, whose in-laws set up the surfing school in 2003. He shows us round some new holiday lets, contemporary pads decked out with photos of surfers hanging 10 under the Northern Lights, which are testament to the fact that the Norwegian surf market is growing. The waves, alas, are too choppy today, so after a windswept stroll to the beach, we head back for coffee and pillowy cinnamon rolls at the café. The sandwich board outside proclaims that they’re the best in the world, and while that’s quite some statement, they really are rather good.

Norway © Up Norway

Island hopping in Norway

Five Norwegian isles worth the ferry ride

Stretching 57 to 81 degrees north, Norway’s elongated coastline is home to a mind-boggling 50,000 islands – the third-largest of any country in the world after Finland and Sweden. Part of the archipelago of Risør, Stangholmen hosts concerts and festivals in the summertime including the Risør International Chamber Music Festival and has a lighthouse with its own private pier. Over on the Svalbard archipelago, Spitsbergen is home to more polar bears than people (for the moment at least) and houses the world’s northernmost city, Longyearbyen.

After that, it’s time to make some cheese at organic cheese and goat farm Lofoten Gårdsysteri in Bøstad with Hugo Vink, who has been making cheese here for the past 20 years after moving to Norway with his wife from the Netherlands. Like the surfing, this is another of Up Norway’s most popular experiences with its clients.

“There wasn’t a lot of cheese to choose from in Norway when we began making it,” he recalls. Before the hard work of sifting curds from whey in huge vats begins, we sit down and sample Vink’s sumptuous wares. There is cheese with cumin, blue cheese and cheese with seaweed, which we’ll be making later today, all paired with earthy crackers, goat’s milk butter and locally-made chutneys.

People have come from all over the world to have a go at making their own cheese here, Vink tells us proudly, including a K-pop star accompanied by his guitar. In between the process of making our cheese – disposing of the whey, breaking up the curds into manageable chunks and tearing up strands of seaweed sourced from a local fjord – Hugo pours Nina and I two beers he’s crafted from the whey. Both are really good, possessing the colour, taste and aroma of a quality pale ale.

NUSFJORD BOUND After bidding farewell to Hugo and laden down with

Situated at the southern end of the Lofoten archipelago, Moskenesøya is home to the picturesque village of Reine, where a steep scramble up Reinebringen affords epic panoramas of Reinefjorden and the Lofoten Wall.

At the northeast of the Lofoten islands lies Austvågøya, which is home to the famous Trollfjord, and Lofoten’s tallest mountain, Higravstinden, which stands 1,146m tall. Fancy going whale watching? Head to the Vesteralen archipelago north of the Lofoten islands, specifically Andøya, the northernmost island, where you can spot sperm wales in the Summer.

Down on the southeast coast, Bragdøya, which is located just outside Kristiansand, offers an almost Mediterranean feel, and its green shallow waters attract hikers and campers in the warmer months. visitnorway. com For more Norwegian inspiration, be that on the islands or the mainland, visit the site of boutique travel agency Up Norway: upnorway.com From left: fishing boats at Manshausen; traditional Norwegian porridge served with berries

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Norway Fish heads at Nusfjord Arctic resort; dinner at Manshausen showcases produce from the resort garden

several boxes of cheese for the Svolvær Tourist Office, we stamp the snow from our boots and get into the car, heading back along the Lofoten scenic route to Nusfjord Arctic Resort, one of Norway’s oldest and best-preserved former fishing villages, where a bay cabin awaits me, a brilliant red hut set on stilts over the water. With its original timber walls juxtaposed against contemporary design – stripy wallpaper, stylish lightings – this is definitely a more upscale affair than my other accommodations. After a hearty dinner of soup, spaghetti and chocolate cake at rustic candlelit venue Oriana Tavern, I don my warmest clothes for the Northern Lights photo excursion, headed

by Kristoffer Lorentzen, who runs a local design company and has an infectious enthusiasm for photography. “Tourism has exploded in Lofoten in the last couple of years,” he says, adding that in January and February, tourists come to see the purple light in the sky.

At Skagsanden Beach, which has a horizon opening to the north, we scramble over rocks and shallow puddles of sea water onto the pitch blackness of the sand, a popular spot to capture the aurora given that there’s no light pollution.

The biting wind turns my cheeks red and blows my hat off and I have to run after it. After a stellar display the night before, we can make out faint green streaks in the sky, but there is too much cloud, alas, for us to properly discern the aurora tonight. We stop awhile at several other places, including Uttakleiv, a popular place to camp out and witness the midnight sun, but even when our driver switches off the headlights and interior lights, there is not much to see tonight. Not to be beaten, Lorentzo instructs us on how best to capture the lights, going over shutter speeds (10 seconds minimum) and other settings before uploading photos to his lightbox and reviewing them on his laptop. When the sleet and snow start obscuring our view of the night sky even further, we retreat to the warmth of the van, warming our hands over cups of hot chocolate and snapping a Kvikk Lunsj (Norway’s answer to the Kit-Kat) as Lorentzen shows us the gorgeous pictures cataloguing his recent trip to Bali.

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It’s my last day in Norway. I crunch on the snow and cheer myself up with breakfast at restaurant Karoline, where a bowl of grøt, Norwegian porridge with berries, is hearty and warming – just what’s needed a day when the snow keeps stopping and starting.

I gaze outside the window as light snowflakes fall and the light keeps changing, and watch people pose for snowy selfies. Once my porridge is finished, I can’t help but do the same, delighting in this October flurry. It’s the earliest I’ve ever encountered the white stuff.

Wiping the snow off my cheeks, I wander into reception and chat to Caroline Krefting, who co-manages Nusfjord with Renate Johansen. She worked for Scandinavian Airlines for 22 years and came to Nusfjord in summer 2018 on holiday. It affected her so immensely, she decided to move here and has no regrets.

Norway

“I like the straightforwardness of northerners – they wondered if a southerner would be able to cope with the first winter, but I managed it,” she laughs. Krefting’s carefree attitude is a happy advert for leaving the rat race and starting over.

A historical tour with Roald, whose grandmother used to live in the fishing village and managed the fishermen’s catch, gives some welcome background to Nusfjord. There used to be 1,500 fishermen here, rowing out with their nets to catch cod, with Italy one of its biggest exporters, he says. As we take in the rorbu’s snow-covered rooftops, Roald points out a rock that his grandfather happily placed on Nusfjord in 1905 to commemorate the dissolution between Norway and Sweden. The old trandamperi (fish processing plant) is still there, as are a number of old fishing boats and nets.

Against the backdrop of his heritage, I take a picture of Roald, smiling in his fisherman’s cap and jumper, still clearly proud of his background. After the tour, I walk down into the nearby valley after Roald tells me, “it’s like a different world down there.” I’m delighted to discover he’s right. Making virgin footprints in the snow, I come across a fjord casting mesmerising reflections of the mountains above. Somewhere in the background, a stream is gently gurgling. I’m moved to say “wow” to

myself before walking into the forest, gingerly testing the iced-over puddles in ditches to see if they’re solid (they are) and catching the snowy mountains reflected in the fjord in my camera. Hungry from my walk, I lunch at the Landhandleriet Cafe, which is hidden at the back of the old general store, which dates back to 1907, watching the light cast shadows on retro stylings like old telephones and television sets.

As my plane takes off from Leknes airport later that evening to make the 25-minute journey south to Bodo, I reflect that, with so many islands scattered along Norway’s vast shoreline, I’ve barely scratched the surface. But having caught my first glimpse of the Northern Lights feels enough for now.

The writer travelled with boutique travel agency Up Norway (upnorway.com), staying at Manshausen (manshausen.no), Svinøya Rorbuer (svinoya.no) and Nusfjord Artic Resort (nusfjordarcticresort.com). She flew with Scandinavian Airlines (flysas.com) from Manchester to Oslø and Oslø to Bodø If you’d like to make the same journey as the writer, check out the link to Up Norway’s digital itinerary here: upnorway.com/journey/arctic-island-adventures

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

HARBOUR

HEAVEN

W

ith breathtaking views of Victoria Harbour front, Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong in North Point is the perfect start to explore something new and something traditional and discover local foodie favourites in the neighbourhood. Centrally located on Hong Kong Island and literally steps away from the ferry pier and MTR station, you can also access Victoria Park, Hong Kong Museum of History and more with ease. Premium amenities, such as an outdoor infinity pool and 24-hour fitness centre, and views of Victoria Harbour front from your room will make your stay unforgettable. The options are

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

endless when you stay in the middle of the action at Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong.

Guest can choose to dine at Cruise, which is inspired by the cruise ships sailing through Hong Kong to ports of call in South and northeast Asia. Cruise restaurant is a destination and a voyage where guests enjoy authentic, delicious cuisine, sharing plates and beverages with stunning views of Victoria Harbour. Those who prefer indoor comfort may enjoy a pre-dinner drink at the bar, which is the central focal point of Cruise, before sitting down at one of the window-side tables for a gourmet dinner overlooking Hong Kong and Kowloon. For an alfresco experience, enjoy drinks and dinner on the outdoor terrace while soaking up Hong Kong’s unique vistas.

Another dining choice is The Farmhouse, which is located atop

the podium with indoor and outdoor seating overlooking Victoria Harbour. The vibrant farm-to-table restaurant offers homemade dishes, buffet style, for lunch and dinner. It has two private rooms and a “barn” at the centre that can be booked for parties and gatherings. The Farmhouse provides the ideal setting for family get-togethers or casual business events. With home-style dishes as well as international delicacies, it is definitely a place where locals and visitors enjoy gourmet dishes freshly made with local ingredients.

Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong Address: 1 North Point Estate l ane, North Point, Hong Kong Tel No: +852 3762 1234 Foax No: +852 3762 1235 Email: hongkong.hyattcentric@hyatt.com Website: hyattcentrichongkong.com

Wellness

Winter WELLNESS Unwind at Amantaka’s Buddhist centre, and create your own aromatherapy scent at Macao’s Iridium Spa

MELO WINTER INDULGENCE AT MELO SPA HONG KONG Treat yourself or spoil a loved one by booking in for the Melo Winter Indulgence treatment at the Melo Spa at Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Sha Tin this January.

The treatment begins with a 25-minute aromatic herbal bath to detoxify the body, with cedarwood and frankincense essential oils to help reduce the appearance of cellulite and combat the signs of ageing. Similarly rejuvenating is the 25-minute cinnamon and cedarwood body glow, a sugar-based body scrub with essential oils to exfoliate dead cells for smooth, hydrated skin.

Blending musclease active body oil with expert technique, the tension release massage (55 minutes) will leave you ready to take on anything over Chinese New Year. Book the above package and receive a complimentary gift to keep that blissed-out state of mind going at home. melospa.com

TAILORED AROMATHERAPY EXPERIENCES AT THE IRIDIUM SPA MACAO The Iridium Spa at the St. Regis Macao, Cotai Central is offering a Curated Aromatherapy treatment, where spa guests can create their own diffuser aroma combinations and body scrubs, then combine them with a 45-minute massage or treatment.

Iridium Spa’s team of wellness experts first highlight the benefits of particular aromatherapy oils, and then encourage guests to create their own diffuser and body scrubs based on their needs and preferences. Once the combinations have been created, the guest then receives the body scrub and massage with their bespoke essential oil incorporated into the treatment. iridiumspamacao.com .

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Wellness AMANTAKA LAUNCHES BUDDHIST CENTRE Designed to educate guests on the practice and principles of Buddhism and bring the resort closer to the local community, Amantaka has launched a Buddhist Learning Centre.

KEEP IN SHAPE AT THE KAPUHALA KOH SAMUI TROPICAL FARM AND TRAINING RETREAT

As part of the experience, abbot Sengdao Santikaro offers daily private teaching for guests that explore the five principles of good living and explore the benefits of meditation. In addition to this practice, senior monk Sombath Watsiphoutthabat offers personalised tours of Wat Siphoutthabath temple.

Buddhist practice is experienced through a variety of activities at the resort. Every evening, for 45 minutes, an abbot makes his way through the property chanting. As dawn breaks, 70 monks walk their daily route past the entrance of Amantaka, offering an opportunity for guests to donate alms.

Luang Prabang is home to numerous spiritual festivals, and Amantaka is active in these celebrations. Throughout March, the Boun Mahasat festival tells the tale of the virtue of perfect clarity and is celebrated in temples across Laos.

Guests can take part in the festival by donating drinking water, a bag of rice and a soft drink to the monks and by watching their chanting and meditation each evening. aman.com

The Kapuhala Koh Samui Tropical Farm and Training Retreat offers health-conscious fitness enthusiasts and corporate high-achievers a life-enhancing travel experience with its integrated fitness facilities encouraging guests to continue their training routines.

Alongside five 55 sqm tented villas, each with a 50 sqm private terrace, there are four private rooms, a plant-based restaurant and plant-based rooftop mixology lounge. The 25-metre swimming pool offers sunrise and sunset yoga, while indoor fitness action includes daily resistance, endurance and functional training group classes, and even an obstacle course running training programme.

Guests can refuel at the on-site restaurant Halapua, the only upscale plant-based dining experience in Koh Samui. The bespoke menu incorporates locally sourced ingredients and seasonal produce from the retreat’s tropical farm. kapuhalasamui.com

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Hotel Review

THE ARTOF

Hospitality

P

erched above the K11 Musea shopping mall and part of Tsim Sha Tsui East’s swish Victoria Dockside development, K11 Artus doesn’t position itself as a hotel, referring to itself instead as a residence. With a proliferation of artworks scattered throughout, it has the feel of a hip museum or art gallery, and has already proved a hit with global creatives looking for somewhere inspiring to stay. In partnership with the K11 Craft & Guild Foundation, it’s on a mission to preserve and promote fast-disappearing Chinese artisanship, like the intricate inlay work known as baibaoqian, and guangcai, a handpainted overglazing utilised on ceramics, with fine examples of both on display throughout the residence.

Guests can purchase some of the objects displayed with proceeds going back to the charity, while one per cent of all room revenue is also donated to the foundation.

With shared spaces and residences designed by Hong Kong’s most esteemed architect, Andre Fu and his studio AFSO, the residence is arguably a piece of art itself, with bold geometrical shapes cosying up to curved furnishings.

Check-in is at the 10th floor, where staffs’ names are stylishly scrawled on an easel in front of their desk. In this area, referred to as the Living Salon and intended as a quiet spot for contemplation, sculptures are coolly juxtaposed against what has to be one of Hong Kong’s most glorious harbour views. My favourite piece is David Nash’s ‘Spiral’, a bronze curve sitting in front of a circular window overlooking the harbour, which symbolises evolution and growth. In the salon, there are also chess boards of varying sizes, piles of artfully arranged books on art and culture, and foosball tables

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manned by stern silver players, while cacti plants cut spiky silhouettes against the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Clockwise from bottom left:

Art is ubiquitous at K11 Artus; residences have a walk-in closet; lofty views from the library; interiors are designed by Andre Fu

My one-bedroom residence is assuredly roomy for space-strapped Hong Kong (this room type ranges from 799-1,245 sq ft), with an open plan kitchen/ lounge area leading out to a wrap-around balcony overlooking Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong island. To the left is the bathroom/bedroom and walk in-closet, while shelves and surfaces are enlivened by elegant ceramic curios. The artistic bent continues in the living space with a booklet entitled ‘Find Your Own Poetry’ casually displayed on the living room table, with poems from William Blake, Emily Dickinson and John Donne enclosed along with a page at the back headlined “write your own poetry” and a slip of paper peppered with nouns, adjectives and phrases to help get the creative juices flowing. A desk is topped with an easel and some coloured pencils, another clear invitation to unleash those artistic talents. I demur on both counts, but still, they are uniquely creative invitations.

Breakfast and dinner are served at the Commune, an intimate space decked out in cool blues and silvers headlined by those knockout harbour views. Coffee, congee and dumplings taste so much better when you can pick out the iconic green and white livery of the Star Ferry as it cuts a slow, determined swathe over the harbour from Wan Chai. Later that night over a dinner of pasta and cheesecake, I’m distracted from my plate when the light show dutifully begins at 8pm, setting

the skies and harbour alight in vivid swathes of neon.

Aside from acquainting myself with the sculptures, I resolve to get a dip in before checking out. Before breakfast, I head up to the infinity pool on the rooftop, which, on a windy December day with the palms blowing at right angles, isn’t exactly tempting, but the warm water (28 degrees) takes the edge off, I do a quick 10 lengths, Kowloon’s skyscrapers never leaving my eyeline, before retreating to the warmth of the shower and the Aesop toiletries and a stylish grey dressing gown with a luxuriantly soft lining.

Taking the lift back down to the lobby area, perhaps the quietest I’ve ever encountered in 15 years’ of travel journalism, chairs and sofas stuffed with cushions encouraging you to linger awhile, I stop to admire the baibaoqian on a chest of drawers, colourful birds and butterflies enlivening its black lacquered surface softly illuminated by the twinkle of the Christmas tree lights.

Pulling back the heavy doors of the residence one last time, I’m thrust into the relentless hustle of Tsim Sha Tsui, red taxis zooming past, pedestrians coming at me from every angle, before I retreat down the stairs into the MTR station, my artistic cocoon becoming a sadly distant reality as I negotiate my way through the crowds and onto the platform.

Art lovers seeking an inspiring retreat in Hong Kong, look no further: K11 Artus is a unique and coolly creative consideration. artus.com.hk

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Celebrate the

Year of the Rat in Macao

Looking for somewhere special to usher in the Year of the Rat? Macao has a host of celebratory activities planned, from parades to cultural performances from around the world

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

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ike many Chinese cities, Macao is eagerly readying itself for Chinese New Year, the most momentous date of the year on the Chinese calendar, as the Year of the Rat is almost upon us. A time for friends and family to come together, this momentous holiday is celebrated with a host of much-loved rituals, including a family reunion dinner on the eve of Chinese New Year and filling the house with flowers and auspicious mandarin orange or kumquat trees.

To welcome in the Year of the Rat, Macao will decorate the streets in grand festive fashion while many residents will post lucky red couplets to front doors to bring good luck. Other centuryold traditions include cleaning the house from top to bottom to welcome in the new year and visiting the city’s temples to pray for good luck and prosperity.

In 2020, the first day of the Year of the Rat, or Lunar New Year’s Day, will fall early this year, on 25 January. To celebrate the most

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

important festival on the calendar, Macao will host a dragon and lion parade on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Before the festivities begin, locals and tourists alike can stock up on special Chinese New Year goodies at the Lunar New Year Market held at Tap Seac Square and Iao Hon Market Garden, which is decked out with beautiful Chinese New Year decorations and festive displays.

There’s also the chance to pick out some fragrant blooms – plum blossom for courage and water narcissus for good luck – and shop for festive snacks, decorations and gifts at the Macao Flower Market.

One of Macao’s signature festivities for Chinese New Year, the 2020 parade will feature the usual dazzling array of illuminated floats.

Local and overseas performing groups, and a group from Marchas Populares de Lisboa – Festas da Cidade de Lisboa 2019, will be among those entertaining the Chinese New Year revellers, with 19 parade floats spectacularly ushering in the Lunar New Year. Another highlight of the Chinese New Year celebrations in Macao will be the firework display in front of the Macao Tower on the 27 January, which will take place at the end of the parade as a dazzling grand finale.

Celebrate the Year of the Rat in style with a trip to Macao this January!

Parade for Celebration of the Year of the Rat

Lunar New Year Market Tap Seac Square

Firecrackers and fireworks authorised areas

Route:

17-23 January 2020 9am-12am

Macao: Avenida Dr. Sun Yat-Sen near Macao Tower

27 January 2020 8pm-10pm

Sai Van Lake Square-Av. Dr. Sun Yat Sen-Macao Science Center 1 February 2020 8pm-9.30pm

Route:

Rua Norte do Patane → Av. do Conselheiro Borja → Estrada do Arco → Estrada da Areia Preta → Av. de Venceslau de Morais → Rua Quatro do Bairro da Areia Preta → Av. da Longevidade → Rua do Mercado de Iao Hon → Jardim do Mercado Municipal de Iao Hon

24 January 2020 9am-2am

Iao Hon Market Garden

17-23 January 2020 9am-10pm 24/01/2020 9am-12am

Taipa: Estrada Almirante Marques Esparteiro near Taipa bay shore 24 January 2020 12pm-1am

5-29 January 2020 10am-12am

Southeast Asian Resorts

TEN DON’T-MISS

RESORTS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA THE ONE WHERE YOU CAN GET BACK TO NATURE:

THE RITZ-CARLTON, LANGKAWI Located amid in the island’s rainforest and set in its own private bay, The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi offers high-end va va voom steeped in ancient natural beauty – and the island’s only overwater spa. Designed to capture the charm of the nearby traditional villages, or kampongs by Philippe Villeroux of Kuala Lumpur-based Tropical Area Architectto, the spa’s five spa treatment rooms resemble Malay fishing nets, or bubus, tall intricately designed shapes akin to a birdcage, or cocoon. The resort’s 75 guest rooms, 15 suites and 29 villas are framed by delicate references to Malay architecture – think intricately carved furniture, large windows and gabled roofs. The resort is home to four distinct dining venues, each overlooking the glistening Andaman Sea offering striking views from sunrise to sunset. From the blend of Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine in Langkawi Kitchen, to western favorites in the Beach Grill, and Chinese seafood in Hai Yan, there are options to delight the palates of all.

Spa rituals at The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Langkawi have been created to restore equilibrium within body, mind and soul with an infusion of traditional local elements. Spa Rituals have been inspired by the indigenous healing and beauty ceremonies practiced by local shamans on the Island for thousands of years.. ritzcarlton.com

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Southeast Asian Resorts THE ONE FOR BOUTIQUE BLISS:

THE PURIST VILLAS, BALI

Looking to lose yourself in a blissed-out bubble for a few days? With just 18 uniquely styled villas delivering calming vistas over the rice paddies and the nearby village of Kutuh Kaje, the Purist Villas might be just the tonic you’re looking for. Grandest of all is the Hill Pool Villa, an antique house from Timor laid out over two stories that sleeps four, with a six-metre high woven roof connecting the master and second bedroom.

Similarly chic are the Bamboo Pool Villas, hidden behind natural stone and wooden walls and featuring a private pool in the centre of the garden. Savour the daily complimentary afternoon tea at Café Balismo, put your feet up and immerse yourself in the laidback Ubud way of life. As it’s Bali, yoga sessions in all disciplines are a given, as are Ayurvedic spa therapies.

There’s even a resident healer, who can help relate your body’s ailments to physical manifestations of the mind should you so wish. thepuristvillas.com

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THE ONE DESIGNED BY THE STAR ARCHITECT:

INTERCONTINENTAL DANANG SUN PENINSULA RESORT, VIETNAM

Tucked away in the mythic hills of Monkey Mountain in the Son Tra Peninsula nature reserve, the Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort is a work of art as much as a resort. Set in 39 hectares of stepped gardens leading down to a private beach, the 201-room hotel was designed by star architect Bill Bensley, who pays tribute to Vietnam with cool design details like the delicate lattice work and Vietnameseinspired furnishings found in the suites. Standard rooms, meanwhile, are unapologetically contemporary with their striking black-and-white palette, and infinity pools feature signature aquamarine stripes. As with the rooms, the restaurants adopt a bold design aesthetic. All-day dining joint Citron embraces a colour palette of yellow and green, with animal graffiti adapted from Vietnam’s earliest known cave paintings adorning the walls, temple-inspired lamps and imperial Nguyen thrones recast as dining chairs. Private dining booths in the inverted shape of Vietnam’s conical hats, meanwhile, float out over the hillside 100m above sea level.

La Maison 1888, the first restaurant in Vietnam to be helmed by a worldrenowned Michelin-starred chef (Pierre Gagnaire if you were wondering) is imagined as an antique French maison, while the L_O_N_G Bar features nesting chairs inspired by Asian fishermen’s baskets. intercontinental.com

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Southeast Asian Resorts THE ONE FOR GOLFERS:

ANANTARA DESARU COAST RESORT & VILLAS, MALAYSIA Located at the country’s southeastern tip in Johor Bahru facing the South China Sea, the Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas is one of Malaysia’s hottest new properties after its December 2019 debut. With 123 keys, there are 90 deluxe guest rooms in low-rise buildings, 13 one- and two-bedroom pool villas; and 20 three- and fourbedroom residences with infinity pool, kitchen and chef, & butler service for those travelling en masse.

Designed by Singapore’s WOW Architects & Warner Wong Design with interiors by Environment Design Consultants from Malaysia, the resort’s design takes its cues from traditional Malay buildings, with indigenous materials and fabrics such as woven textiles, wicker and silhouettes of traditional Malay crafts all incorporated into the interior.

Keen golfers can practise their swing and work on that handicap at The Els Club Desaru Coast, which comprises two courses featuring 45 holes in total: Ocean Course, a 27-hole golf course designed by four-time major champion, Ernie Els; and Valley Course, an 18-hole golf course designed in collaboration with another major champion, Vijay Singh. Once you’re done, check in for a massage at the Anantara Spa – a 90-minute bespoke spa experience, perhaps, or a 24-carat gold facial. There’s plenty going on nearby too, as Desaru Coast is home to an adventure waterpark, waterfront retail village plus other hotels and resorts. anantara.com

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THE ONE WITH UNRIVALLED BUTLER SERVICE:

ST. REGIS SINGAPORE

Many hotel groups in Southeast Asia offer butler service in some shape or form these days, but none perhaps delivers it with such panache as the St. Regis. The luxury hotel chain has, after all, been delivering butler service since 1904 when its first property opened in New York City. Your very own Jeeves will unpack and pack your suitcase at St. Regis Singapore, the first to open in Southeast Asia, and can even be there to draw your shades and deliver your coffee along with the day’s newspaper and weather forecast. When outside the hotel, you can still stay in touch through the eButler service to issue requests like a last-minute suit pressing – and don’t forget to return for the Champagne sabrage, a daily ritual to signify the move from day to night.

Through the St. Regis Aficionado programme, guests can acquaint themselves with the city state’s heritage with offerings such as is The Peranakan Legacy at The Intan, a treasure trove of Peranakan culture with artefacts from Malacca, Penang and China in addition to Singapore, and awarded Best Tour Experience at the Singapore Tourism Awards. Did we mention that the hotel is also home to a fine private art collection, with more than 70 sculptures, paintings and prints by Picasso, Chagall and Miro? marriott.com

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Southeast Asian Resorts

THE ONE WITH DINING OPTIONS GALORE:

APURVA KEMPINSKI, BALI With a clifftop location in the upmarket enclave of Nusa Dua, awardwinning architect Budiman Hendropurnomo of UK-based Denton Corker Marshall drew inspiration from the rice terraces and their centuries-old irrigation system to create the concept for the property, with a network of waterways, including a waterfall on the resort’s spectacular grand staircase lining up alongside natural-clad stone buildings and bougainvillea-covered terraces. The 250-step walkway, inspired by Bali’s Pura Besakih water temple, runs through the centre of the resort, and provides a stage for nightly rituals. As you’d expect from a resort with so many rooms, there’s a diverse line-up of dining options for guests to dig their teeth into (six to be precise) most spectacularly, Bali’s first aquarium dining experience, Koral Restaurant, where seafood is grilled with local spices. At Reef Beach Club, cocktails are leisurely sipped after a dip in the 42m infinity pool. Don’t miss, too, high tea at Selasar Deli or Pendopo Lobby Deck, where you can sample traditional jajanan pasar delicacies such as kue mangkok (a sweet pastry that’s steamed to resemble a flower) by ordering the Pendopo High Tea. And prepare to be mesmerised by Bali’s famous sunsets at Pala Restaurant & Rooftop Bar, which is set in the midst of a long pool. An ocean-facing spa offers treatments including mangosteen facials and lulur (herb and spice) body scrubs, while the daily resort activity schedule is packed from 7am ‘til 5.30pm daily with activities including Bali temple tours, hand weaving, aromatherapy blend classes and sunset yoga. kempinski.com

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Southeast Asian Resorts THE ONE THAT’S NEWLY REJUVENATED:

CONRAD BALI

If you’re a sucker for a property that’s reinvented itself and don’t want the hassle of a long transfer once you’ve touched down at the airport, then consider checking into the Conrad Bali.

Located around 12km from Ngurah Rai, it completed the redesign and expansion of its 298 rooms and suites, spa and hotel lobby last year to tie in with Hilton’s 100th anniversary celebrations.

The hotel’s newly-expanded deluxe guest rooms now feature a blue and grey colour palette and wooden furniture, reflecting tropical island-inspired patterns with warm lighting and contemporary Balinese artwork delivering the final authentic flourish. Some rooms offer lagoon access, while others have oceanfront views from the balcony or terrace. Guests can flop out on the balcony’s new daybeds before heading over to the refurbished lagoon pool or revamped main pool for a swim then dinner at the Suku restaurant, an oh-so-chic space that offers authentic street food from Bali, Java, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore. It has tweaked the menu to offer healthier options of street food classics, and uses locally-sourced ingredients where possible, including spices from its own garden. conradbali.com

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Southeast Asian Resorts THE ONE TO MASTER MUAY THAI ON THE BEACH:

SILAVADEE KOH SAMUI

Tucked away on Laem Nam beach in Koh Samui, the 80-room Silavadee Pool Spa Resort features deluxe rooms, pool villas and pool villa suites.

Standout selections include the Jacuzzi Deluxe, with an outdoor Jacuzzi from which guests can admire the stars, and the Tropical Pool Villa, which has a private pool equipped with an Aqua Jet Massage Bed. Most upscale of all is the 300 sqm Ocean Front Pool Villa Suite, which has its own infinity pool, private library and wine cellar.

The resort takes wellness seriously, with three distinct programmes: Sila Wellbeing (nature-based activities), Balanced Fitness (workouts and stretching sessions) and Mindful Awareness (meditation and breathing activities). Best of all, though, is the chance to master some Thai boxing basics with a Muay Thai lesson on the beach. Hip rotation is key for all blocks, kicks and punches, meaning you get an intense core workout at the same time. Guests can also take part in Jasmine garland making and alms giving. If that all sounds like too much effort, step into the resort’s infinity pool and order up a drink at the Sun Pool Bar, or head over to the rooftop Star bar for a pre-dinner cocktail. silavadeeresort.com

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Southeast Asian Resorts

THE ONE FOR MINIMALISTS:

ALILA VILLAS KOH RUSSEY Located on the self-proclaimed Cambodian Riviera on an isle off the south coast of Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand, Alila Villas Koh Russey’s design is inspired by the Krama, a patterned cloth widely used in Khmer life, merging clean lines and geometric forms. For many years, Koh Russey served as an outpost of the Cambodian Navy and today still remains under its administration. “Russei” means bamboo in Khmer, and reflects the large amounts of bamboo that still cover this chilled-out island.

The resort’s minimalistic cubic buildings, painted a stylish gunmetal grey, feature flat roofs and alternating vertical striations that reflect the Khmer theme, and blend discreetly with the jungle-like setting. Hardwood floors, dark volcanic and slate-like stone, and steel are juxtaposed against wooden screens, woven silks and ikat cushions to create a distinct design theme, while rattan bubble chairs in the reception area, suspended from the ceiling by metal chains, add a playful touch.

When you’ve finished admiring the cool design details, amble along the private 1.2m stretch of copper-sand beach shaded by coconut and iron-wood trees, where you can enjoy cinema nights during the dry season, or book a session at one of the spa’s five double treatment rooms, which utilise local ingredients such as aloe vera and Khmer herbs and spices. alilahotels.com

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Southeast Asian Resorts

THE ONE FOR THOSE TRAVELLING WITH AN ENTOURAGE:

FOUR SEASONS CHIANG MAI

Those looking for an authentic Northern Thailand getaway may find the postcard-perfect setting of Four Seasons Chiang Mai, which is wrapped around its own rice paddy in the Mae Rim Valley with traditional teak pavilions serving as accommodation, just the thing. Furnished with custom-made artwork and Thai silk accessories, the resort is home to one of the area’s best cooking schools, the Rim Thai Kitchen, where guests can master the nuances of Thai cooking. But there’s ample in the way of R&R too: why not try the Royal Lanna Signature Treament, a blend of seven scared flowers to sooth and beautify skin, or the Royal Samunrpai treatment at the spa, where silk poultices are filled with hot medicinal herbs to open the pores and soothe the muscles. Travelling with a big group of family or friends, or your very own entourage?

Then check into the 20-Bedroom Private Resort Experience, which has five private swimming pools and five live-in butlers. This exclusive collection of five villas is linked by a bamboo-lined pathway, and comes with complimentary meals and wine tasting sessions, while game nights, cooking competitions (friendly or otherwise) and private performances can also be arranged for you and your crew. fourseasons.com

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MALDIVIAN MAGIC

The Maldives’ very first private island resort, Kurumba, remains as popular as ever with tourists after delivering almost 50 years of flawless hospitality

S

ituated on a blissful tropical island in the North Male Atoll, the beautiful resort of Kurumba Maldives offers compelling and diverse experiences from its stunning island setting. Suitable for honeymooners and families alike, the former will appreciate romantic meals on the beach watching the sunset, while the kids can have fun and meet new friends at the Majaa Kids Club.

Conveniently situated a brief 10-minute speedboat ride from the airport, the resort offers eight styles of accommodation, ranging from the well-appointed superior rooms to the spacious Two Bedroom Villa, which is situated amid the island’s lush tropical gardens with easy access to the beach. With eight different restaurants, three bars and one shisha lounge, other amenities at Kurumba Maldives include an award-winning spa and its very own house reef, where guests can familiarise themselves with the region’s legendary marine life with a spot of snorkelling, or scuba diving.

Kurumba’s humble beginnings began in 1972, and the resort celebrated its 47th anniversary this October with team building activities and a street fair. Once unknown inhabited only by fisher folk, this remote archipelago was unknown to the outside world. There was only a small airstrip on Hulhule Island (the present international airport), built by volunteers, with no regular flights. Mohamed Umar Maniku, Universal Enterprises’ chairman, recalls: “We had nothing in the Maldives then. No Banks, no airport, no telephones only ham radio or Morse code contact with Colombo. Even the UNDP experts said that tourism would never succeed because there were no facilities or infrastructure.”

A chance meeting in Colombo between Italian travel agent George Corbin, and the Maldives Embassy’s Ahmed Naseem would change all that. It was love at first sight for Corbin,

who was seeking pristine islands where he could bring Italians to swim and hunt fish, and he immediately vowed to return with more guests.

The Italian brought the Maldives’ first tourists, mainly journalists and photographers, in February 1972. They stayed in humble lodging in three houses in Malé, looked after by Maniku and his friends, including Hussain Afeef, who is currently the successful owner/operator of several resorts.

Perfect for swimming, sunbathing, and fishing, the Maldives enchanted them. Corbin promised to bring more tourists if Maniku, Naseem and Afeef could find them somewhere to stay. And so Kurumba was born.

Inspired by their enthusiasm, Maniku and Afeef linked up with the leaseholder of Vihamanaafushi, then an uninhabited island coconut plantation. They chose the island for its proximity to the airstrip and the capital. Access to the island was only by sailing dhoni or open boat with outboard motor. After arriving by boat on the beach, guests had to wade through the surf to reach the resort.

From its humble origins accommodating just 60 guests a month, Kurumba now hosts around 14,000. Once run by a handful of founding friends, it now employs around 450 staff.

“In the beginning, we didn’t know what to cook for these tourists from overseas, or how to deal with them,” Maniku recalls. “I had a recipe book in English that I translated into Dhivehi so the boys could understand it. I was cook, gardener and room boy. We had to do everything ourselves.”

Fastforward to 2020 and the Kurumba Maldives is a haven of barefoot luxury, a blissful contemporary space that delivers the perfect backdrop to a holiday in paradise whether you’re creating special memories as newly-weds or enjoying precious family time in the sunshine. kurumba.com

Jet Feature Private Jets

Jet AWAY

The Gulfstream G650's plus points are its quiet cabin and low cabin altitude

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n a trip to Asia a few weeks ago, my schedule had me flying through five different airports over 10 days. I was returning to India after several years and it struck me how airports like Chennai and Kolkata have grown from the one low-rise, two-story building of old to the multifloored glass high-rises of today. It’s a result of the growing economies in this part of the world, where the importance of an efficient airport process, with timely and wait-free procedures like check-in and security scanning for business and commercial travellers, is crucial. Chennai handled 23 million passengers last year while Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, formerly known as Dum Dum Airport, now handles approximately 20 million passengers per year. This may not compare to the busiest airports in Asia like Beijing Capital International Airport with 101 million passengers per year followed by Dubai, Tokyo and Hong Kong in the 80 to 90 million range, but these figures are steadily increasing.

The ease of catching a business jet or private jet at a dedicated private jet terminal to another location than these airports, away from all those thousands of people, is an altogether different travel experience. The private jet is waiting for you, there’s no lines, an instant security check, crew at the ready, food designed especially for you, beds to sleep in, and separate areas for bathing, eating and doing business. You jump on, the wheels go up and off you go. Fast, quiet, peaceful and very civilised, it beats all first class and business class travel on a commercial jet.

PRIVATE JETS ARE ASIA-BOUND Now the question is more about what type of private jet you’d like to take your journey in.

You can purchase your own jet, lease it, charter it, join a membership programme or pay as you go. Payment programmes these days make it easier to fly by private jet than ever before – and there are plenty more newly-minted millionaires and billionaires in Asia with

the cash to do so. According to the UBS/PwC Billionaire Insights 2019 report, there are more billionaires in Asia Pacific than anywhere else in the world. There are currently 754 billionaires in the region, followed by the Americas with 749 and Europe, the Middle East and Africa with 598. China’s entrepreneurs have quickly risen to become the world’s second largest billionaire group in this time overtaking Russia. At the end of 2018, China was home to almost an eighth of all billionaires worldwide.

This is strategic for companies in the private jet business. A report by elite market research company Mordor Intelligence found China was the largest market for business jets in the Asia-Pacific region in 2018. By the end of 2018, China had a total fleet of 338 operational business jets, making the country the largest operator of business jets in the world. “China is also planning to establish as many as 500 general aviation airports catering to the needs of around 5,000 general aviation aircraft by the end of 2020, which is also a supportive factor for the market,” it added.

As China becomes a business hub, business aviation in the country is growing at a rapid pace. According to Mordor Intelligence, in its Asia-Pacific Business Jet Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2019-2024), that growth in the business jet market in AsiaPacific is primarily being driven by China, Australia, and India.

“Business jet manufacturers are focusing more on the development of ultralong-range jets that can travel almost halfway around the world, which can open fresh possibilities in personal and business travel. Business jet customers also prefer jets that can provide access to the more demanding, long-range routes. Even in the global market, the demand for long-range business jets is mainly generated from customers based in AsiaPacific,” the report stated.

If you’re one of those on the look-out for a private jet, here are six serious options to consider.

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Private Jets

AIRBUS CORPORATE JETS GREATER SPACE TO CARRY EVEN MORE PASSENGERS

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he Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) family gives customers the choice of wide and spacious cabins, presenting inspiring possibilities in creating unique spaces that offer the best of comfort and function. Those customers who want greater space to carry even more passengers can opt for one of ACJ’s family of VIP widebodies that also deliver “nonstop to the world” range. This includes the new ACJ319neo, which will fly eight passengers 6,750 nm/12,500 km or 15 hours.

In May 2017, ACJ and the Italian hypercar Atelier Pagani Automobili announced a new cabin design for the ACJ319neo, Infinito. A key feature of the Infinito cabin is its sky ceiling, which can bring a live view of the sky above the aircraft into the cabin – or use it to display other images – to create a feeling of airiness and space. “The combination of composite materials never used before in an aircraft, such as CarboTitanium, with the typical design language of Pagani Automobili, has always represented our signature. Applying our Renaissance touch to the wider spaces of ACJ cabins is the beginning of an exciting new venture for us,” says Horacio Pagani, founder & chief designer of Pagani Automobili SpA. “In bringing together the best of the supercar and business jet worlds, we enable an elegant and seamless link for customers of both, while bringing a fresh approach to cabin design and satisfying very demanding standards,” adds ACJ managing director, Benoit Defforge. airbus.com

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Private Jets

BOEING BUSINESS JETS REDEFINING ULTRALONG RANGE VIP TRAVEL

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oeing Business Jets (BBJ) bring commercial aviation capability — ultra-large cabins, long-range jets — into the realm of private air travel, redefining spaciousness, comfort and convenience.

BBJ offers customers a wide range of highperformance aircraft that can be customised for private, business or governmental use.

“Our most exclusive customers want to travel with the best space and comfort and fly directly to their destination. The new BBJ 777X will be able to do this like no other airplane before it, redefining ultralong range VIP travel,” said Greg Laxton, head of Boeing Business Jets, at the bi-annual Middle East Business Aviation Association show (MEBAA).

The newly launched BBJ 777X is the first business jetliner able to connect any two cities in the world nonstop. Available in two sizes, the BBJ 777-8 and BBJ 777-9 add to the market leading BBJ widebody portfolio

with more of what customers value most: cabin space and range. As the largest twinengine aircraft in the world, the BBJ 7779’s main deck cabin space of 3,689 square feet (342.7sqm) is comparable to previous generation four-engine aircraft. The slightly smaller BBJ 777-8 lays claim to its own record as the longest-range VIP aircraft ever designed, capable of flying 11,645 nautical miles (21,570 km) nonstop.

To demonstrate the versatility of the airplane’s spacious cabin, BBJ unveiled interior concepts from three leading design firms: Greenpoint Technologies, Jet Aviation, and Unique Aircraft Design. Each concept shows how the BBJ 777X can be transformed to suit the tastes of any VIP customer. They can personally design and hand-select interior elements and features through many designers and completion centres, or if desired, allow Boeing Business Jets to manage the VIP interior completion. boeing.com

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GULFSTREAM G650ER THE LOWEST CABIN ALTITUDE, THE QUIETEST CABIN

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he Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation’s G650ER aircraft entered service in 2014, and along with its sister aircraft, the G650 has earned 90 speed records over the years. The G650ER (the "ER" stands for Extended Range) has 500 more nautical miles of range, 7,500nm than the regular G650 and provides more high-speed range utility with 6,400 nm or 11,853 km at Mach 0.90. Known for its ability to connect far-flung cities at the fastest speeds, the G650ER offers passengers both style and comfort with the signature Gulfstream Cabin Experience, featuring 100 percent fresh air, the lowest cabin altitude, the quietest cabin sound levels, 16 of the industry’s largest windows, a high-definition entertainment system, high-speed connectivity and a gourmet kitchen. This jet was on display at the Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE) last year at Shanghai’s Hongqiao International Airport. “The AsiaPacific region continues to be our largest international market,” says Mark Burns, president of Gulfstream Aerospace. “Since 2014, we have seen the regional fleet grow by 24 percent and the Greater China fleet by 35 percent. Our large-cabin aircraft do very well in this region thanks to their unsurpassed combination of speed and range, and Gulfstream aircraft continue to break and set records, win awards and raise the bar for what’s possible in business aviation.” gulfstream.com

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Private Jets

DASSAULT AVIATION FALCON 6X LAND AT AIRPORTS USUALLY INACESSIBLE TO LARGE BUSINESS JETS

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he new Falcon 6X integrates the best features from Dassault Aviation’s world-leading business and fighter aircraft expertise to create the longestrange jet in its class with unparalleled passenger comfort, maximum mission flexibility and the most advanced cockpit technologies.

The new Falcon 6X is the most spacious, with more room to work and relax, providing six feet six inches of head room, eight feet, six

inches of width and 40 feet, four inches of length. An advanced and versatile twinjet in the long-range business jet segment, Dassault Aviation’s in-house Design Studio restyled the cabin interior with extra-large windows (30 of them) to brighten the cabin naturally and provide unprecedented views with a total of nearly 5,000 square inches and the highest percentage of window area in its class. It also features an industry-first skylight that provides additional natural light in the galley area.

The Falcon 6X will fly a maximum range of 5,500 nm (10,186 km) at Mach .80 or 5,100 nm / 9,445 km at Mach .85, with short-field takeoff and landing capability typical of the Falcon line. As a result, it can fly almost anywhere in the world and land at restricted or challenging airports typically inaccessible to large business jets. It is also able to land with much more fuel, which enables operators to make a short hop to an interim airport, pick up passengers, and then continue to an overseas destination without having to refuel. Washington to New York, then onto London or Geneva, for example. The cockpit of the new Falcon 6X is more spacious with larger windows and the next generation of streamlined flight technologies. Test flights are expected to start in early 2021 with entry into service the following year. dassault.fr

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CESSNA CITATION LONGITUDE GREATER LEGROOM THAN MOST AND LOW CABIN ALTITUDE

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extron Aviation Inc, home to the Citation Longitude aircraft in the super-midsize segment, gives you more range, greater payload or higher cruising speeds at a lower total cost of ownership.

Engineered to give you the quietest, most comfortable cabin in its class, the spacious cabin and double-club seating afford 11 percent more legroom. Designed and built in-house, the fully lay-flat seats are crafted for smooth mobility as you work or relax in flight.

The forward wet galley enhances cabin service with plenty of room for food preparation. The large walkin baggage compartment is accessible throughout the entire flight without restriction. Arrive refreshed thanks to a low cabin altitude that does not exceed 5,950 feet.

The Citation Longitude maximum passenger count is 12 with a maximum cruising speed of 483 knots 895 km/hr. The range is 3,500 nm or 6,482 km, and the wingspan is 68 feet 11 or 21.01 metres. txtav.com

Private Jets

BOMBARDIER GLOBAL7500 THE WORLD’S LARGEST AND LONGEST-RANGE BUSINESS JET

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hen buying a private jet, the aircraft features are always important. Launched in March 2019 the Bombardier Global 7500 Aircraft successfully completed an 8,152 NM flight non-stop on 4 March 2019, connecting Singapore to Tucson.

According to Bombardier, the revolutionary Global 7500 is the world’s largest and longest-range business jet, redefining air travel with customisable cabin options and floor plans creating four distinct living spaces, including complete kitchen and stand-up shower.

Passengers can also experience the deep recline of the Nuage seat — the first new seat architecture in business aviation in 30 years. An industry-leading 7,700 nautical mile range connects some of the world’s most dispersed city pairings, including New York to Hong Kong and Singapore to San Francisco. GE Passport engines, designed specifically for the Global 7500 business jet, power it to a top speed of Mach 0.925 with dependable reliability and improved fuel efficiency. Combined with exceptional braking, the field performance of the Global 7500 rivals that of much smaller aircraft. A cutting-edge wing design with outstanding wing loading enables the Global 7500 aircraft to deliver the industry’s smoothest flight for a ride quality that is unmatched in business aviation. bombardier.com

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Insider

A NEW APPROACH

TO ACCOMMODATION Tell us about your background and how you got involved with cofounding Artyzen

I came to Asia in the early 80s, and was responsible for the opening of the Grand Hyatt Bali. then was in Japan in the early 90s.

In 2005, I opened two hotels in the Maldives for the Four Seasons. It was difficult for the family, so I joined MGM Macau as vice president of hotel operations in 2007. I was with MGM for six years, and thinking about early retirement, then was approached to see if I was interested in conceptualising a new hotel management concept. We came up with Atyzen, and launched in 2013.

What made you change your mind about retiring?

I was trusted to lead the company, and I like to create things and have a lot of energy. I thought about it long and hard, and it seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity. From a financial perspective, hotels aren’t that exciting, although hotel owners in Hong Kong are much more financially savvy and better are reading the market than most.

I’ve worked for two of the best companies in the industry – Four Seasons and Hyatt – and I’m still very impressed with their approach.

But for the rest of the industry, hotels have become commodities, and they’re all kind of the same.

What was your inspiration for the Artyzen concept?

We had to appreciate that customers today probably know more about our city than us.

They’re always on their phone, and this is where things have changed. They are looking for experiences and memories, it’s not necessarily about the hotel and how big the rooms are, or how many restaurants they have

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– it’s just regarded as somewhere to sleep and eat. We saw an opportunity to serve these new consumers, and have taken art, culture and emotional wisdom as our drivers.

Your brands include Zitan, Artyzen Hotels & Resorts and Artyzen Habitat.

What makes your hospitality group so special?

I’ve spent 37 years in Asia, so I understand the market well. I saw the opportunity to create something to serve these new consumers and their wants and needs.

You’ve taken over one of Macau’s most interesting heritage properties, the Grand Lapa Macau…

Yes, we turned that around in six months and completed a major renovation that is just about to finish it. We’ve repositioned it as a very nice artisan hotel.

While most of your hotels are in Asia, you have even gone as far afield as Hawaii…

We never planned to do that - we were asked to go, the hotel owner reached us through a middle man. So we visited the Ka’anpali Beach Hotel, which hadn’t been renovated in 35 years, and found it had this incredible magic. They asked us to preserve the culture and heritage of Hawaii through the hotel, which is hopefully what we’ve done.

What’s your strategy been to grow the business?

As we’re a startup and built our brand from scratch, our idea was to focus on clustering, expanding our base from where we already have properties. We are just looking at opening a hotel across the border from Macau, for example. We set an office in

Shanghai, and will open hotels there, as well as in cities within a one-hour radius of Shanghai. We have Singapore confirmed, then in Western China we have Chongqing, and in Beijing several properties are currently under discussion.

With places like Chongqing, people tend to visit just for business…

But a lot of business travellers combine trips with leisure, and hang on for one or two nights. I don’t believe in the full separation of business and leisure classification any more. We’re definitely interested in having a presence in gateway cities, and identifying heritage from which we can build our hotel stories. If you go to an industrial city, you can still find heritage and culture.

Many of your hotels will open in 2021 and 2022, including a property in Singapore. Tell us about that

In Singapore, a lot of the five-star hotels, represent western historical culture like Raffles and so on. So we started to build the story on the Peranakan culture and bring that to the forefront. We’re starting to do the same in Shanghai too.

You’ve got around seven hotels opening in Asia in the next few years.

What’s next?

We’re actively discussing Melbourne, Myanmar and Bangkok, and having discussions in Japan, even Europe. People are starting to be aware of what we do. Our first brands have created a lot of conversation, and we had a large influx of architectural firms come to look at our property in Shanghai. 2021 will be an important year for us, as we’ll open several hotels, and are already putting the teams and other resources together. artyzen.com

Global 7500

The Industry Flagship Long range | Large cabin | Smooth ride

Bombardier, Global, Global 7500 and Exceptional by design are registered or unregistered trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. All information above is true at the time of publication. Š 2019 Bombardier Inc.

Belmond British Pullman

REFRESHMENT ON THE RAILS

This page:

the Belmond British Pullman journeys from London Victoria to Surrey.

Opposite page:

each carriage has a name; smoked beetroot, choux and horseradish

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Belmond British Pullman

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uxury trains with firstclass coaches and steward service, Pullman trains first made their debut in the 1870s, enjoying a heyday in the ‘20s and ‘30s before winding down in the 1970s. Intended to recreate the golden age of travel, dining onboard these old steam trains remains decidedly popular, with trains such as the Belmond British Pullman, an engine that first voyaged up and down the rails in the 1920s, now restored to its former glory, traversing the English countryside as passengers savour meals cooked by some of the biggest names on the UK restaurant scene. This includes established names like Raymond Blanc and Michel Roux Jr to up-and-coming talents like Sky Gygnell and Merlin-Labron Johnson.

It’s Roux Jr, head chef of London’s twoMichelin-starred Le Gavroche, who will be cooking for us from a narrow galley kitchen tonight, recreating classic French dishes, all painstakingly plated,

aboard this charmingly retro Pullman.

The journey begins at London’s Victoria Station, from platform 11, where smartlyattired wait staff are on hand to greet us with Champagne, later circulating with canapes, at Belmond’s private lounge from 6pm before the train departs at 6.50pm.

It’s a Friday night, commuters still zipping past on the platform, but the ambience inside the lounge is distinctly formal, with gents all decked out in black tie (one sports a glittery black tux) and ladies attired in floor-length evening gowns & sparkly cocktail dresses in preparation for an evening that will see us cover 84 miles of track, journeying out towards Ashford and Feltham in the Surrey Hills before heading back to Victoria. As we walk towards the reception area, awkwardly conspicuous in our evening wear, we catch a glimpse Michel circulating, his trademark beam and salt-and-pepper hair distinctly familiar from all those Masterchef episodes, cutting an elegant figure in his gleaming chef’s whites.

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Belmond British Pullman

ALL ABOARD THE DOWNTON TRAIN It’s with a certain level of expectation that we are escorted from the lounge onto the train by the smartly attired wait staff who lead us out to the Belmond’s distinct brown and yellow carriages. Peering inside the windows, we spy art deco detailing, cute antique table lamps and row upon row of patterned armchairs and linencovered tables. Many of the guests stop for a selfie or two in front of the train before boarding, including my husband and I, before sinking into our plush armchairs and expectantly eyeing up the five-course menu.

We gaze out onto a superb sunset and head south towards Clapham and Balham, all guests’ eyes trained on the window as we pull away from London and head into the Surrey countryside.

We catch brief glimpses of Michel as he darts through the carriages, and as the skies darken, my eyes rest inside the carriage to take in the velvet drapes hanging smartly at the window,

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and the vases of carnations juxtaposed against the table lamps that softly illuminate each course.

The GM, Craig Moffat, is onboard this evening, and is keen to find out how we’re finding the vintage rail experience so far. We tell him it’s a luxury to have four hours to ourselves with nothing much else to do except eat and drink and chat, as he tells us many refer to it as the Downton Abbey train. “People like the opportunity to experience the golden age of dining, and we’re finding many passengers appreciate the low environmental impact of travelling aboard a train,” he adds.

We begin our sumptuous journey with a 2014 Blanc de Blanc from Kent’s Gusbourne Estates, a bright golden colour with a delicate mousse and classic Chardonnay aromas of green apple and citrus. The first course begins on an intriguing note with a smoked beetroot, choux and horseradish (it’s smoked eel for my other half), which is followed by an earthy mushroom terrine, a dish many chefs refer to as French

Belmond British Pullman country meat loaf. With a firm jelly holding it together and a truffle dressing delivering a high-end upgrade, it’s delightfully retro, and, as it’s served cold, rightly liberally seasoned.

A roast cauliflower, celeriac and peppered carrot pie delivers a homespun feel, as does my husband’s venison loin and grouse pie, which has a mushroom puree and green pepper sauce on the side.

MEETING MICHEL Michel doesn’t limit himself to the kitchen, instead snaking his way through the carriages to interact with each guest and sign his recipe book, The Frech Revolution: 140 Classics Made Fresh and Simple, which each guest has received a copy of when they boarded. (Mine is scrawled with ‘All the best’ while my husband’s message is ‘Vive La France’). Roux Jr is happy to take selfies, politely and persistently smiley in the face of yet another screen. As he stands across the table from me, still handsome and twinkly aged of 59, I ask him how it’s gone in the kitchen so far. He laughs and rolls his eyes and says, “Kitchen? What kitchen?’ But the experience

can’t have been that bad as Michel has catered several dinners aboard the Pullman before.

While he hasn’t experienced the joys of the Pullman train himself (probably like most chefs, he’s been too busy working 18-hour days) the chef says he’d like to have fellow Frenchman Raymond Blanc cooking for him should he ever do so. With Blanc hosting a pop-up for Belmond last July (his hotel and restaurant, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons is owned by the Belmond group), he’s sure to be back again in the Pullman kitchen should Michel be serious.

There are pleasant pauses in-between courses while diners are left to contemplate the charmingly retro carriages, with mahogany fittings and marquetry punctuated by art deco glass windows and polished brass. Even the bathrooms are decked out with gorgeously detailed mosaics.

FAMOUS CARRIAGES After dallying in Surrey for a while once the mains have been meticulously cleared by our immaculately turned-out waiters, we’re off

Clockwise from top:

plush chairs and starched linens onboard; Michel Roux Jr; the lounge hosts predinner drinks

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back to Victoria, with Barkham Blue cheese, saffron honey and pickled orange served before a fabulously rich, decadent bitter chocolate indulgence with praline and topped with gold leaf that is heightened by the syrupy sweetness of a rich dessert wine, a 2016 Sauternes La Fleur d’Or from Bordeaux. The petits fours – nougat, passion fruit jelly, almond tuile – provide the final flourish to what’s been a deliciously eventful meal. I’m left wanting to make a trip to Le Gavroche, Michel’s two Michelin-starred restaurant in Mayfair, which many critics still refer to as “the ultimate fine dining dream” where iconic plates including Souffles Suissesse (cheese souffle baked on double cream) and Le Caneton Gavroche (whole poached duck in a light consommé) await.

After dinner, a magician comes round to perform magic tricks, which seems altogether in keeping with the retro theme. (though I’m not the biggest fan of magic tricks myself).

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Belmond British Pullman

Clockwise from bottom left:

smart attire is required; the Art Deco-inspired carriages; Champagne is plentiful onboard; a magician entertains guests after dinner; afternoon tea selection

There’s a quick tour of the carriages before we leave – PR manager Hannah Layton points out where luminaries including Nelson Mandela and Charles de Gaulle once sat and dined – and we find several passengers have nodded off, no doubt chastened by too much Champagne and rich food.

We arrive back promptly, as arranged, at 11.15pm into Victoria station, the sight of the fast food outlets and coffee shops clustered at the end of the platform bringing us back down to earth with a bang after the opulent surrounds and sublime service we’ve witnessed aboard the Pullman. What I’ve enjoyed most about the experience is the chance to linger over each course and truly appreciate each nuance and flavour of the dish. If you’re keen to do the same, there are regular dinners during February and March, while afternoon teas and murder mystery evenings are also offered aboard this delightfully dashing train.

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Belmond Afternoon Tea

AFTERNOON TEA

AT BELMOND CADOGAN Could this be the best afternoon tea in the UK? We think so

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ritual with English roots – it was famously introduced in the 1840s by Anna, the Seventh Duchess of Bedford to stave off hunger between lunch and dinner, which was served fashionably late in her household at 8’ o clock – expectations always run high when you sit down to afternoon tea in England. So at Belmond Cadogan on Chelsea’s Sloane Street, which has just won Best Contemporary Afternoon Tea at the UK’s Afternoon Tea Awards, expectations run high. A grand piano in the corner of the room adds a dash of drama, as does a huge fresco underpinned by a gorgeous glass light fixture and the open tea bar at the back of the room.

We are swiftly ushered to statement designer yellow chairs, in which I comfortably recline to enjoy sunlight streaming through the stained glass window, before taking a proffered plump cushion and glass of Taittinger. Scottish chef Adam Handling’s take on afternoon tea is a smart, sassy mix of old classics and new creations, a truffle egg elegantly served in a silver eggcup that’s

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melt-in-the mouth wonderful the first thing to cross my lips. The woollen tea cosies on the pots, which were knitted created by the chef’s grandmother, deliver a home-made, cosy touch to an otherwise modern setting, as evidenced by the afternoon tea stand, with golden ‘branches’ supporting plates of exquisitely presented savouries and cakes.

The level of expectation from my tastebuds ramps up as I watch the staff place each item painstakingly onto the tray from behind the bar area. The cream cheese, picked cucumber and shallot sandwich is a definite standout, as are the roasted chicken, tarragon mustard mayonnaise with smoked garlic and tomato jam on onion bread and the liver parfait choux. The sweets arrive after a palate cleanser of basil sorbet with lemon foam & elderflower. They include a trio of traditional – a fruity Dundee cake that references the chef’s Scottish roots, plus a Battenberg and lemon drizzle. Contemporary offerings, meanwhile, include a granny Smith and lemongrass cremeux and a salted caramel sacher. If this is the future of afternoon tea, we’re fine with that. belmond.com

and surrounded by more than 1,000 retail shops. From the hotel, it’s an easy stroll to the Gardens by the Bay and the heritage district of Singapore, home to some of the city’s oldest institutions and museums, as well as the iconic Merlion Park.

Executive

In 2018 the hotel underwent an extensive refurbishment, which saw rooms incorporate natural materials for an eco-friendly approach: window coverings, for example, are made from natural jute fibre. To transition seamlessly from work to relaxation, all rooms feature moveable tables and day beds, and feature a 55-inch HDTV mounted on a special crushed eggshell design wall. A motion sensor to activate There’s lounge occasion electricity has abeen addedfor as every an environmentally friendlyatfeature, andCentennial guests only need to press a Conrad Singapore button or tug the drapes to trigger them to close ocated within the heart of double vibrantvanity Marina automatically.

All guest rooms include

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Bay, the award-winning Conrad Centennial Singapore has it all. With four restaurants, a spa and executive lounge boasting sweeping views over the Singapore skyline, the hotel is one of the Lion City’s most esteemed addresses for business and leisure travellers alike. With 487 guest rooms, 25 suites and 101 connecting rooms, each unique space exudes an air of effortless luxury with Asian touches like yukata bathrobes and technology that accommodates the needs of the modern voyager. Executive rooms offer exclusive access to two distinct lounges: the Executive Lounge and Lounge By the Pool. On-site gastronomic offerings include the Golden Peony for Cantonese classics and all-day dining at Oscars, while other amenities include a 20-metre outdoor swimming pool, 24-hour fitness centre and the Conrad Spa. Couple these impressive facilities with easy access to some of the country’s star attractions, and you can rest assured that there is a never a dull moment at Conrad Centennial Singapore.

LIFESTYLE

Guests staying in the executive rooms and suites have unprecedented access to not one but two distinctly different lounges, a unique benefit given that most hotels only have one such space. Catering to everyone from lone business travellers to those travelling with the whole family in tow, daily breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails are served in both lounges. The Executive Lounge on the 31st floor boasts an an upscale residential ambience and sweeping views over the city. Situated on the fourth floor, The Lounge by the Pool, meanwhile, offers a casual setting in a relaxed environment that’s perfect for families, where everyone can enjoy a swim and some precious family time together.

Looking to indulge in some retail therapy? There are plenty of options on the door step, as the hotel is part of the Millennia Singapore development, which is home to more than 1,000 shops and over 300 dining options. From the hotel, it’s also a quick stroll to the Gardens by the Bay and the heritage district of Singapore – home to some of

live music. electricity has been added as an environmentally friendly feature, and guests only need to press a SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION button or tug to trigger In need of some R&R? The the newdrapes spa comprises fourthem to close automatically.

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room, and access to the 24-hour fitness centre is complimentary for guests.

To help guests discover the rich tapestry of Singapore, Conrad Centennial Singapore offers specially curated itineraries for excursions including food, shopping, art and design, culture, family activities, and adventure through its 1/3/5 programme.

With its prime location, outstanding staff, comfort, and world-class amenities, the Conrad Centennial Singapore is perfectly in sync with the vibrant, colorful and fascinating city that is Singapore. conradsingapore.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIO

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the city’s oldest institutions and museums – asChangi well asInternational the iconic ust 20 minutes’ drive from Merlion Park. To explore Singapore’s other must-visit destinations, Airport, Conrad Centennial Singapore is it’s a five-minute walk to Promenade MRT station, where Singapore’s located in vibrant Marina Bay, a five-minute stellar transport service will bring you around the island. Whether walk away from the Promenade MRT station you’re a thrill seeker, shopaholic, foodie or leisure traveller looking and surrounded by more than 1,000 retail shops. From for an escape, you can find it all here. Surrounded by epicurean eats, the hotel, it’s an easy stroll to the Gardens by the Bay vibrant art, shopping trails, or vivacious after-dark experiences, and the heritage district of Singapore, home to some of hotel guests can familiarise themselves with everything Singapore’s the city’s institutions and museums, as well as cultural playground hasoldest to offer. conradhotels3hilton.com

the iconic Merlion Park.

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Tanzania Clockwise from this photo:

zebra, wildebeest and flamingos in the Serengeti; that luxury safari vibe at Highlands Ngorongoro; lioness gets a close-up

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fter a rustle of leaves and a creek of bowed wood that’s quickly lost in the breeze, two eyes, one frosty blue, the other honey hued, emerge from the shadows. We have disturbed the leopard’s slumber and he has moved to where he can spy our game vehicle from the depths of an ancient acacia tree. For a moment there is absolute silence as humans and cat size each other up, but the tension is broken as the felicitous feline yawns, a great pink tongue sweeping across its lips, its razor-sharp teeth brilliant in the late afternoon sunshine, before sinking back into the shadows to finish his nap. This is the beauty of a safari in the Serengeti – it’s nature at its most sublime.

It’s a great start to our first game drive at Kimondo Camp, one of two mobile camps operated by safari gurus Asilia Africa. It’s my wife Maggie’s first time in Africa so I wanted the trip to be as kaleidoscopic as possible, with a contrast of landscapes and camps that summed up safari experiences past and present. A tented camp was a must: there’s nothing like falling asleep to the sounds of animals passing through the darkness beyond; the cascading rumble of evening thunderstorms over the savannah, fat raindrops hitting taunt canvas; al fresco dinners under starry skies; and mood-soaring sunrises as you prepare to set out on game drives.

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Tanzania VINTAGE SAFARI VIBE Kimondo is a classic safari camp in the most blissful of senses; there’s a tent for communal dining and another that serves as an elegant lounge, complete with a trunk-style cocktail bar and deep-set leather sofas. From the main tents, a chain of nine handcrafted East African and Moroccan-influenced canvas and wood suites winds through tall grass.

Each guest space boasts a mosquito-wreathed kingsize bed, spacious ensuite with indoor and outdoor bucket showers, and views across undulating hills of golden grass where families of elephants stroll each afternoon. The longer I stay at Kimondo, the more amazed I am that this entire camp is rolled up and transported seasonally, to offer guests the best proximity to the Great Migration, as its millionstrong herd of wildebeest and zebras travel from the Lamai Wedge (where the camp is during our visit) in winter to the southern Serengeti in summer.

Much of the Serengeti that surrounds Kimondo is flat savannah that runs towards low purple mountains across the border in Kenya, where the Serengeti

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Tanzania

changes its name to the Masai Mara. However, closer to the Mara River, which is flooded during our visit thanks to late seasonal rains, the trees close in, making for great resting spots for troops of baboons, African fish eagles, and of course, leopards. The river’s waters are tumultuous but soaking hippos, submerged up to their eyes and nostrils, don’t seem perturbed. Beyond, three adolescent giraffes graze among the acacia trees and black-headed herons race across the rapids bound for boulder-strewn islets.

As we emerge from the thicker foliage of the riverbanks, flocks of Guinea fowl in blue polka dot plumage scurry in every direction; a family of five stout warthogs pauses to watch us before trotting off, their tails erect like car aerials; and a pair of shy black-backed jackals watch us from dew-heavy grass.

ROAMING GREAT CATS The Northern Serengeti is one of the most vibrant parts of the national park. Between July and November great herds of wildebeest and zebra arrive searching for grass, and are greeted by year-round residents like giraffe, hippo, impalas, oribi and topi antelopes, and, of course, prides of lions. Our guide, Good Luck, whose razor-sharp eyes spotted the leopard, trace the horizon.

He smiles and takes our game vehicle up a gentle rise. There’s movement in the golden grass ahead and slowly a family of lions takes shape, a lioness leading her five fairly large cubs home from a night’s hunt. The great cats are sated and somnolent and saunter past only feet from the vehicle, a few of the sizable cubs giving us an inquisitive side glance as they make for their den in a

Clockwise from top left:

the Highlands Ngorongoro; a close encounter with an elephant; playful zebras

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thicket of trees. Beyond, topis in their brown and blueshaded coats, watch carefully – after all, you never quite know with lions.

There’s talk on the radio of a trio of young cheetahs – a coalition – making for the broad valleys of the Masai Mara and we rumble off across the wide savannah in search of the elusive cats. There are very few other game vehicles out this morning; the shoulder periods offer safari goers (and the animals) more privacy and intimacy than the peak season, when vehicles from both safari camps and day-trip operators crowd the Mara River to witness the dramatic crossings of wildebeest and zebra. Despite our efforts, the cheetahs remain undiscovered and instead we pause at the border for breakfast as the sun climbs high and the air grows warm.

Camps like Kimondo typically offer two game drives per day, one at dawn and the other in the late afternoon. Many guests like to have a nap in between – you’re on holiday after all – although we found Kimondo’s tents to be too hot during the day so opted to relax in the open-faced lounge instead. Evening drives typically conclude with sundowners, and at the end of our first evening game drive, after spying striped jackals, inquisitive spotted hyena and a family of infinitely-elegant elephants, we arrive at the swirling waters of the Mara, where the camp’s team has set up a campfire (what the camp manager calls a “bush TV”) and a wet bar. We take up camp chairs and listen to

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hippos groaning in the roaring river beyond as Lappetfaced vultures circle in the dying light.

The magic of the bush continues the second night when, after a long afternoon among the zebras and wildebeest, the first Great Migration arrivals, we make straight for camp, where guests are clustered around a roaring fire pit and camp staff are serving libations from a vintage drinks trolley. It’s Maggie’s birthday and the whole camp celebrates with us; Chef Julius, who has been with Asilia for six years, serves a spectacular dinner under the stars before the entire staff sing Happy Birthday, first in English and then in a Swahili version that goes on for 15 minutes and involves a great deal of hooting and yelping. I don’t think I’ll ever be content hearing the original again.

ON TOP OF THE WORLD From Kimondo we take a short flight to Lake Manyara, at the southern tip of the Serengeti, where our guide Adam drives us up to the lip of the acclaimed Ngorongoro Crater. The landscape couldn’t be more different from the northern Serengeti; gone are the vast yellow grasslands, replaced by thick jungle and vibrant red rock, a testament to Olmoti, the brooding volcano on the flanks of which The Highlands by Asilia camp is situated.

Leaving the main road, we climb a back-jarring, stomachchurning mountain track; in some places we’re clinging to the door handles of the 4x4 as it sways violently,

Tanzania

Five Tips for Better Photos on Safari Patience is crucial, as is having great gear and the right light

the engine groaning (or was that me?) as we climb out of deep ruts caused by recent heavy rain. There are signs that the local authorities are finally developing this goat track into a real road but until they do it’s a hard, long journey up to the camp – consider yourself warned.

From left:

A climbing leopard; following the big cats; cocktails at the camp

1) Consider travelling with two cameras, one with a long lens, one with a wide lens, or invest in one or two lenses (at least 300mm) to capture close-ups and landscape shots

Eventually, after a couple of hours of this torment, we arrive at what feels like the top of the world; up here at more than 1,980m above sea level the tight jungle of the volcano’s slopes gives way to soaring, distant peaks and broad alpine valleys populated by lowlying shrubs and Maasai villages of simple round huts. Tall, slender boys wrapped in red and blue shawls against the late afternoon chill watch our progress as they tend to herds of white and brown goats.

The sun breaks through the low canopy of cloud, casting the scene in a checkerboard of golden light, and suddenly the hardship of the road is (almost) forgotten.

2) Bring enough batteries and memory cards so you can capture all those magic moments, then back them up on an external drive each night

The Highlands also couldn’t be more different from Kimondo. Set high in the mountains, the camp is made up of canvas and Perspex domeshaped buildings, like a moon colony out of a 1950s comic book. At the top of the camp is a main dining room, a breathtaking lounge, and a separate cocktail bar with wrap around terraces that offer sensational views across valley below.

4) Make the most of the best light by taking photos in the early morning in late afternoon when the sun is low in the sky

Winding down a steep dirt path are eight tented suites, cosy, thoroughly Instagrammable individual domes with wooden floors, wood-burning stoves, and, in the case of our ‘honeymoon suite’ an outdoor hot tub on its own stilted platform. Each space is a curious blend of African lodge and Scandinavian log cabin, but it works – at least visually (more about that later).

3) Patience is key to great wildlife photos. Instead of driving from animal to animal, stay with a potentially good sighting

5) Consider a walking safari to see things that may be overlooked on a game drive and enable you to appreciate the smaller animals Helen Dalley

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Bedroom interior at the Highlands Ngorongoro

The safari experience is also different here. The 260 sqkm crater is only an hour’s drive away (unfortunately down that same goat track) and promises a full safari drive experience in one day, making it popular with day trippers from Arusha. The crater is nothing short of spectacular.

Two million years ago the volcano exploded, leaving a vast, flat and partially sheltered microcosm that’s home to a plethora of animals, from lions and jackals, to elephant, zebra, wildebeest, hippos, cape buffalo and many varieties of birds. Species that are usually migratory love the crater so much they never leave.

SHARED DISCOVERIES As we descend from the crater’s edge, Adam points out elephants hiding in corpses of evergreens, duelling adolescent zebras, elegant grey crowned cranes and Egyptian geese, and thousands of pale pink flamingos, their reflection caught in the waters of a vast soda lake.

During lunch under canvas at a riverside spot, the camp’s ever-cheerful staff serve fresh salads and grilled steaks while guests from around the world discuss what they had seen during their drive. There’s a sense of shared discovery that you only get on safari.

It gets cold quickly up on the crater rim, the clear skies venting the day’s heat as a vast canopy of stars emerges from the inky darkness. Staring up at the constellations and listening to the sounds of life in the village below (it’s aptly named Nainokanoka, which means fog and cold),

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I soak in the wood fire-warmed tub until a great bank of descending fog chases me inside with as manly a shriek as I can muster. In the darkness, the flames from the stove dance on the canvas walls and through the Perspex the stars twinkle brightly. However, at around 3am our wood stove goes out and the temperature inside our oh-sopicture-perfect bubble nosedives until our breath emerges as plumes of steam, making the 5am wakeup call more challenging than ever.

All the same, as we rumble our way past the Maasai shepherds and their flocks on our way back to the airstrip, I see the effect Africa has had in Maggie’s eyes. It’s hard to resist this ancient, contrasting and breathtakingly beautiful place, its savannahs and its highlands, its wild animals and welcoming people. Something tells me this might have been her first visit, but it won’t be her last.

The writer flew with Ethiopian Airlines from Asia to Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania, via Addis Ababa.

The Kimondo camp costs from US$668-986 per person per night, including full board accommodation, all house drinks, scheduled game drives, air strip transfers, and laundry service.

The Highlands ranges from US$528-$1,017 per person, per night, including full board accommodation, all house drinks, scheduled game drives, Olmoti Crater hike, Empakaai Crater hike, Maasai cultural visit, hot lunch on the Ngorongoro Crater floor, airstrip transfers, and laundry service; asiliaafrica.com

Chiang Mai

Clockwise from top left:

a warm welcome at 137 Pilllars House Chiang Mai; the Dining RoomLouis Leonowen's House, Lampang; a gin cocktail at Jack Bain's bar

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Chiang Mai

ON THE TEAK TRAIL IN

CHIANG MAI

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ith its proliferation of old colonial buildings like the gymkhana club, founded in 1898, and ancient temples (Wat Chiang Man has stood here since 1296), Chiang Mai makes for a great heritage getaway, and there is no more stylish setting to start your historic journey than boutique bolthole 137 Pillars Chiang Mai, a 30-room hotel built around a restored teak homestead that takes its name from the 137 pillars that it originally sat on. Dating back to the late 1800s when it was the northern headquarters of the British-owned forestry firm, the East Borneo Trading Company, the office was opened by Louis Leonowens, whose mother was a British teacher in the Royal Thai Court. The house served as residence of the manager until 1927 and in the post WWII years, was sold to Scotsman William Bain, William’s son Jack joined the family business and raised his family on the grounds, Teak continued to be highly prized in Britain and the rest of Europe due to its durability and resistance to insects, which made it an excellent material for shipbuilding.

The hotel references its former owners in suite names, the most upscale of which are the two Louis Leonowens suites, each sized at 135 sqm and equipped with a private pool, while the East Borneo suites pay tribute to Bain’s Scottish roots with tartan curtains. At Jack Bain’s bar, copper sheet and leather accents – both widely traded in Southeast Asia at the time – complement the existing aged teak architecture, where lime green leather barstools and maroon velvet club chairs are the perfect place to recline with a G&T in hand, which was one of Bain’s favourite tipples.

VINTAGE DETAILING After an early flight and nimble transfer (the airport is about a 20-minute drive away from the hotel), I’m swiftly escorted to my suite, taking in the blissed-out ambience, the daybeds lined with silk cushions surrounded by frangipanis and the sculptures (there’s an al fresco art exhibition going on). I freshen up before lunch in the Dining Room, an exquisite teak structure given a contemporary touch with diners seated in canopy beds under a cluster of turquoise lanterns. Lunch is light-as-a-feather spring rolls, fragrant prawn or tofu noodles and an upscale twist on mango sticky rice. After lunch, there’s time to make a more thoughtful assessment of the suite’s vintage tiled veranda and rattan rocking chair (there’s a day bed should you prefer to recline) and gaze out over the hotel’s property tropical gardens, where lanterns dangle languidly from the high branches of the trees. The highlight of the en suite bathroom is either the free-standing Victorian bath tub or walk-in closet (I just can't decide), while the framed blackand-white photos adorning the walls document a time in Chiang Mai’s history when elephants were still used to transport teak logs.

As I sit awhile, I’m stunned by just how quiet everything is: in these digital times, I can’t even make out the quiet rustle as the page of a paperback is turned over. Instead, the elderly gentleman sat in my eyeline is on his iPad, not moving a muscle. I can’t see, or hear, anyone else. The quiet continues with a blissful Thai massage at Nitra Spa. From there, it’s a dash to the walking street, where the usual round-up at Asian markets – purses, wall hangings, paintings – are waiting to be snapped up as blind musicians

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bang out tunes on old Thai instruments. At night, the turndown service delivers a nightly bedtime story, each with a moral, like the ‘the little mouse’.

by teak logs in 1932 and reconstructed in 1965) and head out to Lampang, a city two hours south of Chiang Mai.

TRAILING THE TEAK WALLAHS

On the way, we stop at the Lanna Ancient House, one of the oldest houses in Chiang Mai, which has stood here since 1867 and once owned by a Burmese logging contractor. Prior to arriving in Lampang and in keeping with the teak theme, we pause at Wat Si Rong Mueang, a teak temple built in 1905 by Burmese settlers where no candles or incense can be burned due to the risk of fire, with teak columns supporting the roof adorned with colourful glass mosaics. We lunch at a riverside restaurant, surprised by the lack of tourists after travelling from busy Chiang Mai, and take a horse and carriage ride around the city’s sleepy streets, to the Horse Cart Museum, which has a carriage that Thai royalty once travelled in, and also acts as a repair shop for the carriages. We then clip-clop our way to Louis House, the former office of Louis Leonowens Company, a charming colonialstyle two-story teak structure that’s currently being restored by the Forestry Department. It’s a house that’s inspired countless paintings and it acts as a backdrop to various local events and performances.

From there, we drive to one of Lampang’s most popular tourist spots, Ban Sao Nak, which features 116 teak pillars (21 less than the hotel–so not quite so prestigious apparently). Built by wealthy Burmese merchant Muang Chan Ong, it has stood here since 1895 and is an alluring mix of Burmese and Lanna styles. The rooms are still furnished so you can get a feel for what it was like for the people who once lived here. We arrive late in the day just as a Chinese tour bus is departing and are have the house pretty much to ourselves, the plants and linen on the table making it feel very much lived-in.

Keen to tap into its history, the hotel recently launched the Tales and Trails of the Teak Wallahs day trip, a one day excursion that chronicles the colourful lives of gentleman foresters or “teak wallahs” as they were affectionately known in Thailand.

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Oak had become scarce in Europe and adventurers had just discovered the teak forests of Asia, which sparked off a gold rush for the timber. Northern Thailand became the centre of the teak industry in the region with the arrival of the British-owned Borneo Timber Company in the late 1870s. With holdings in Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Phrae and Nan, the Borneo Timber Company rapidly became the richest and most powerful teak business in the region. By the end of the 19th century, three more firms had obtained leases in Chiang Mai and Lampang. These British companies controlled 60 per cent of Chiang Mai's teak output. When the Borneo Company obtained a 100-year lease for a huge plot of land on the east bank of the Ping River near Wat Ket in 1888, it dispatched Louis Leonowens to establish a branch office. When he wasn’t gambling with the local chief, he built four lavish teak houses, one of which served as the headquarters of the Borneo Company until it was bought by William Bain. His descendants eventually sold it to the Wongphanlert family, which is now the centrepiece of the hotel. A dominant slice of the expat community at the time, the cast of colourful characters included another Borneo Company teak wallah David Fleming Macfie, the missionary Dr. Marion Alphonso Cheek and the famous British Consul General W.A.R Wood. They brought with them Western customs and traditions, celebrating Christmas with polo and pony races.

THE COOL SIDE OF CHIANG MAI

The tour starts with an exploration of the temple complex adjacent to the museum, and the Wat Ket Museum, founded by Jack Bain, where gramophones line up against traditional massage tools, fans, busts, statues and the inevitable proliferation of Buddhist memorabilia. After, we cross the Ping river by way of the Chansom Memorial Bridge (it was destroyed

After a day exploring the teak wallahs’ old haunts, it’s time to experience the cool, contemporary side of the city with dinner at the Woo Café and Art Gallery, where muffins and cakes are displayed under glass covers and juxtaposed against vases of Thai orchids in just about every colour under the gaze of designer lampshades. Each dish is breathtakingly beautiful, clearly curated to stand the fierce scrutiny of social

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Clockwise from top right: Jack Bain's bar; gin and tea cocktails; hotel lobby; alfresco sculpture

Chiang Mai

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media but also no slouch in the taste department either. The pad Thai is served on banana leaf and draped in egg, each ingredient reassuringly fresh, while the rice salad is equally zingy, with green mango, dry coconut, torch ginger, pomelo and lemongrass on the side all adding some punch.

From left:

horse-drawn carriage in Lampang; afternoon tea on the verandah at 137 Pillars; the pool at the hotel and riverside dining in Chiang Mai

Arguably the best spot in the city for cocktails is The Rooftop Bar at the Sala Lanna hotel, a boutique gem with 360-degree views over the Ping River and out to the city. I order up a mojito and gaze out over the skyline as the tassled white lanterns blow this way and that in the gentle breeze. It’s happy hour but surprisingly, enjoyably quiet, the only sounds a lone swimmer doing laps in the pool and the occasional jiggle of a cocktail shaker as another mojito is mixed and poured.

The next day, we head 40 minutes’ west to Patara elephant farm (see box) then there’s time to kick back at the hotel in the afternoon. I do some lengths in the pool, which is set against a backdrop of a live green wall, the water reassuringly green and unchlorinated. Exercise done for the day, it’s time, yet again, to indulge, as

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our teak wallahs undoubtedly did, with a spot of afternoon tea, which can be served on the verandah of your suite. The three tiers are given a decidedly Thai twist with longan scones underneath the jam and cream and it’s all the more delightful to bite into one and sip an Earl Grey sprawled on the day bed in the late afternoon sun.

After a gin & tonic at Jack Bain’s bar and a western dinner of broccoli & green curry veloute, pasta pomodoro and chocolate lava cake with Chantilly cream at Palette, it’s an early night in preparation for the 03.20am flight back to Hong Kong but not before a soak in the delightfully deep Victorian bathtub. With their love of socialising and the finer things in life, the teak wallahs would have undoubtedly adored the understated elegance of 137 Pillars, and the tour provides a fitting tribute to these gentlemen foresters.

The writer travelled with Air Asia from Hong Kong to Chiang Mai and stayed at 137 Pillars Chiang Mai; 137pillarschiangmai.com. The Tales and Trails of the Teak Wallahs day trip costs US$196 per person and includes transportation by private vehicle, an English-speaking guide, meals and entrance fees

Chiang Mai

Elephant Adventure The Patara Elephant Farm provides sanctuary for these gentle pachyderms Some elephants still roamed freely in Patara as recently as 20 years ago, but now many are a staple of the various elephant farms, sanctuaries and nature parks dotted around Chiang Mai such as Patara. On arrival for the Elephant Day Care experience, we make friends with these big-eared mammals that never forget by learning their names and stroking them before two sniff out the bananas in my backpack and countless trunks wave in the air trying to snaffle this much-loved fruit. Once the bananas are swallowed down by the deftest of beasts, they chow down on sugar cane, breaking it into pieces by crushing it with their feet, with loud, contented crunches.

After we’ve given them bananas and got them on side, we learn some elephant commands (‘nati bon’ for get up, and ‘di di’ for good) before donning a colourful tunic so we can resemble the mahouts that look after them daily.

Each person in our group of six is paired with an elephant and trainer, falling into step with both as we wander down the hill to the waterfall, where the elephants take a bath and are encouraged to squirt water at us from their trunks by the guide (dress appropriately and be prepared for a soaking). Standing almost knee-deep in the water, we are handed buckets and brushes to scrub them down with, their hard grey skin peppered with twigs and dust that they throw onto themselves to keep cool.

I’m still not sure where I stand on elephant tourism, as you hear many cases of ill-treatment, but the elephants at Patara seem well-cared for, with some of its 72 residents rescued from the circus. And if every captive elephant was set free, there would be nowhere safe for them all to go, due to the destruction of their natural habitats among other factors. Whether we like it or not, elephants need tourism to survive. pataraelephantfarm.com

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

A PAGEANT

WITH PURPOSE

The Miss Scuba International pageant sees passionate divers & environmentalists advocate for marine conservation

Robert Lo and MSI 2019 Michaela Shuttleworth

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rom the environmentally themed Miss Earth to the Miss Arc Broward pageant for those with special needs, beauty pageants have evolved from being competitions that solely focus on good looks to embrace great causes and diversity. None, however, have made their focus our oceans. Launched in 2011, the Miss Scuba International pageant was launched to change all that, celebrating not only the inner beauty and courage of today’s modern women, but also advocating the important message of marine conservation.

Open to females passionate about promoting marine and ocean conservation by encouraging others to explore the underwater world, Miss Scuba International is a niche pageant that highlights the plight of our seas. It is open to females aged 18-28, with the upper age limit increasing to

Michaela Shuttleworth MSI 2019

38 in 2020. The first event was held in 2011 in Kota Kinabalu, and saw Indonesia’s Dayu Hatmani, an English literature major turned TV host, take the crown. The title is currently held by 2019 winner Michaela Shuttleworth from Australia, a marine science student who triumphed over 22 other contestants to take the title.

The pageant was founded by Robert Lo, proprietor of Sipadan Mabul Resort (SMART) and Mabul Water Bungalows, who is passionate about sustainable development within the realms of our marine environment. Lo hopes that by sharing the beauty and wonder of the underwater world with the help of switched-on young women who care passionately about our seas, it will enable more people to understand just how fragile our oceans are, and how much more we all need to play our individual roles to make a difference in protecting it.

Miss Scuba International Ltd. Pageant Director Grace Ginda Tel: +60 88486389 E-mail: grace.missscubainternational@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/MSIInt/ www.missscuba.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION Rouella Chan MSHK 2019

Ana Lobato Faria MSMacau 2019

Rouella Chan MSHK 2019

Miss Scuba International aims to promote safe diving practices through worldwide professional training organisations, and elevate international tourism and cultural appreciation. Indeed, as people travel to far off destinations to dive, they also learn to appreciate the cultural diversity that makes our world such an interesting tapestry.

The winning delegate of the Miss Scuba International competition will undertake a year of ocean conservation campaigns to educate and inspire all of us to do our best to safeguard our oceans. The pageant will also offer the winner a unique platform to launch her career and personal development. As in previous years, this year’s schedule of activities includes reef clean ups, beach clean ups, conservation workshops, public speaking workshops and charity visits. The event’s conservation partners include WWF-Malaysia, which has collaborated with the pageant since its inception in 2011 and offers a two-day conservation workshop headed by interim head of marine Monique Sumampouw. Other partners of the event include Manta Trust, Shark Savers and Green Fins. missscuba.com

Yuki Leung MSHK 2018

Vina Kan MSMacau 2018

Rouella Chan MSHK 2019

Ana Lobato Faria MSMacau 2019

Miss Scuba Macau and Miss Scuba Hong Kong Regional Director Hedi Haines Poulton Tel: +34 6106 63594 E-mail: contact@treasuryofancientwisdom.com https://www.facebook.com/MissScubaHK/ https://www.facebook.com/Macau-Miss-ScubaDive-536142983485702/ www.missscuba.com

Turning Left

GATEWAY TO AFRICA

BACKGROUND A member of Star Alliance, Ethiopian Airlines serves 125 passenger destinations from its hub at Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport. The largest African carrier in terms of passengers carried, the airline offers business travellers a modern and reliable link between Africa and Asia.

palette. There’s plenty of storage, which for me is a must on long-haul flights, and bottles of water and practical little amenity kits in a bright green wash bag style were already in place. When in bed mode, the seat was perfectly comfortable, with plenty of room at shoulder level and comfortable pillows and blankets offered by the crew.

CHECK IN/THE LOUNGE

DINING

After selecting our seats via Ethiopian Airlines’ app, we checked in at Hong Kong International Airport and quickly arrived at Hong Kong Airlines’ Club Bauhinia near gate 23. The lounge, which is open to passengers in Ethiopian Airlines’ Cloud 9 business class, features a buffet of hot and cold snacks, a fully stocked bar and great views across the apron. We boarded at gate 47 (despite the boarding pass directing us to gate 43) on to a 787-10 with 24 seats in business class in a 2-2-2 configuration, of which just over half were occupied.

THE SEAT You have to love the 787, with its mood lighting and oversized windows with electric blinds. We have reviewed Ethiopian Airlines on this route before; in this instance the airline was operating one of its older Dreamliners, with an older generation business class. This means that business class seats had a 179-degree recline rather than 180-degree lie flat, which makes a good night’s sleep a little trickier, especially given the late hour departure. However, my 22-inch seat, 2A, was still very comfortable and featured a 15.4-inch private monitor, controlled by a remote in the arm rest, AC and USB ports, and a grey and red colour

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After takeoff, many passengers decided to sleep as it was midnight with an 11-hour flight ahead of us. Deciding that by delaying sleep a little while I would better handle the jetlag, I decided to have dinner while watching a movie. Crew, who served hot towels and glasses of Champagne Lallier Brut before takeoff, quickly began the dinner service, which started with pan-fried Maguro tuna with pearl barley and a fresh seasonal salad. Choices for the main included sweet and sour chicken with capsicums and steamed rice; stir-fried beef with dried bean curd, black bean chili and jade melon; and braised Chinese winter melon with mixed mushrooms in fish sauce, and stir-fried noodles. The chicken was tangy and crispy and well-proportioned, with the fare served on a proper plate rather than the bento-style dishes still found in many business class cabins. I decided to skip dessert but did try a sip of Ethiopian honey wine, which was a very elegant finish to a great airline meal.

For breakfast, served 90 minutes out from Addis Ababa, we were offered a choice of mushroom egg souffle with corned beef potato rosti, chicken sausage and cherry tomatoes; pancakes with blueberry compote; or vegetarian congee with shitake

mushroom, fresh spinach, ginger, spring onion and shallots. Like many passengers, I had an onward flight and decided to get a little more sleep rather than have breakfast.

ENTERTAINMENT While it’s not quite Emirates’ ICE system or Cathay Pacific’s CX Studio, the inflight entertainment system on the Ethiopian Airlines 787 was perfectly adequate, with a broad selection of television shows and movies, and an easy-to-use interface. I opted to use my own Bose QuietComfort 35II headphones rather than the airline pair. The aircraft didn’t offer wifi.

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SERVICE While many carriers at the top of the ranking spots are struggling with service standards, Ethiopian excelled. Crew were charming, welcoming and diligent, serving meals in a professional yet unhurried style, and checking up on passengers throughout the flight. Always quick with a smile and always happy to meet any requests, the human factor – as we have found in many other reviews – was touching and made the whole experience all the better.

SUMMARY With new 787s and A350s entering the fleet, authentic hospitality and cuisine inspired by the destination, Ethiopian will continue to be a warm welcome to Africa for travellers from Asia.

A return from Hong Kong to Addis Ababa in business class starts from US$3,030; ethiopianairlines.com

LIFESTYLE

Zest

for Life

MITSURU KONISHI’S HONG KONG RESTAURANT REVIEWED

TEST OF TIME A RECORD BREAKING PATEK WOWS AT THE AUCTION HOUSE

GLOBETROTTER LUGGAGE

TEA COCKTAILS

BENTLEY GRAND TOURER

ECOFRIENDLY THREADS

BOSS DEBUTS TRACEABLE WOOL CAPSULE

www.silavadeeresort.com

In The Kitchen

WELLNESS GASTRONOMY TAKES OFF

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In The Kitchen What are some common misconceptions about healthy eating and ‘wellness’ restaurants and how do you seek to challenge those?

That everything needs to be boiled or steamed and tastes bland. Healthy food can also be bold, colourful and flavourful, as we demonstrate with our menus.

Which items are going down well on the breakfast, lunch & dinner menus at the moment at Asaya Kitchen?

For breakfast, avocado on toast is always a winner, and there are great benefits to be had from the homemade sourdough.

We add argan oil, which is good for hair, skin and nails, and black olive powder, which is packed with unsaturated fat for a great start to the day. Shakshuka is the most comforting and healthy breakfast food: roasted peppers, tomato, onion with poached egg, labneh (a soft cheese made from strained yogurt) cumin and coriander – it’s my all-time favourite.

For lunch, the tomato tartare is proving popular… it’s just dried tomato dices seasoned to give that meaty texture served with bulgur wheat seasoned with a citrus base dressing, fresh herbs, and diced celery and cucumber for some crunch. The pan fried black bream is very simple and very Mediterranean, and is served with crushed zucchini and raw marinated vegetables.

For dinner, there’s the Asaya garden salad, which features all we can find in season that’s local and prepared as many ways possible – pickled, raw, blanched, grilled, baked and shaved.

The whole fish from our fisherman are always different, just stuffed with black rice, tofu, a fresh herb mix and bake. For dessert, there’s a pineapple carpaccio, a whole fruit roasted until caramelised and served with a guilt-free yogurt sorbet and lime zest. We use coriander honey to roast the pineapple, which helps digestion.

Asaya Kitchen claims to create a relationship with food that is cultivated from, “a sense of discovery and self awareness”. How do you do that?

We also lacto ferment, and make vinegars, kimchi, miso, koji rice and barley. We’ve been quite proactive to inform diners about all aspects of gut health.

You have a zero waste policy, where everything is used and reused in the kitchen. What are the challenges of implementing this policy?

We have a use as much as we can’ policy in the kitchen. We collect all scraps when we’re preparing food, and they are collected in our ‘big box of everything’. Every day, we go through and reuse waste for stocks, purees and powders. The biggest challenge is changing the mentality around using all that comes to us, as for a long time the industry has created a demand for only prime cuts and premium-quality vegetables.

The mentality needs to change on both sides, customers and chefs alike.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a chef in Hong Kong?

We try to build dishes in a way that encourage diners to discover a new approach to nutrition. Healthy dishes can also be very tasty.

I see mostly advantages… our young staff are motivated and hardworking and we have access to a tremendous amount of ingredients and a very diverse customer base here in the city.

You work with partners in Provenance Distributions, such as the Shun King fisherman family in the Sai Kung peninsula. Will you be welcoming any more local suppliers on board soon?

How will the menu continue to develop at Asaya Kitchen?

We’re also working with several local organic farms to source our vegetables and use locally-made tofu for our dishes.

Cooking techniques have been employed to optimise gut health. Tell us about the techniques you employ and how they work.

We pickle, ferment and culture ingredients as much as we can.

The menu will evolve on the same basis, with plenty of dishes utilising raw, nutrient-rich ingredients. We’ll continue look for newcomers to the supply chain in Hong Kong.

What is the single biggest change we could all make in order to eat a healthier diet?

Reduce meat altogether and diversify your food intake as much as you possibly can. We need a bit of everything to live and lead a balanced life. rosewoodhotels.com

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Food Adventures The Japan cocktail at Hong Kong’s Tell Camellia features matcha tea, schochu, pumpkin seed, mint and fermented soybeans

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Food Adventures

From Ceylon and Oolong to matcha and hibiscus, tea can be a creative addition to a cocktail mix…

Hong Kong’s first contemporary tea cocktail bar, Tell Camellia’s menu highlights include Japan (see left), a umami-filled mix served in a floating wooden cup that combines re-distilled and evaporated matcha tea, shochu, pumpkin seed, mint, fermented soybeans, and a garnish of rare plankton and seaweed dust. Nutty and fullbodied, the Sri Lanka cocktail combines retovaped Ceylon Tea blended with coconut, basmati rice, green algae, rye whisky, and homemade Ape Amma milk wine, which is traditionally drank in Sri Lanka during the festive season.

T&Tonic, a subsection of the cocktail menu dedicated to herbal and tisane teas re-distilled with gin, includes quirky takes on the G&T including mango & strawberry and chocolate & coconut. facebook.com/tellcamellia

fruit, honey and lime). Draftland has a sister bar in Hong Kong, with Tokyo and Seoul coming soon. draftland.tw

At Draftland in Taipei, the first bar in the world to serve libations on tap, there’s plenty of tea-inspired cocktails to keep you wired ‘til the wee hours, with cocktails changing seasonally so mixologists can mix and match different raw ingredients when they’re at their best. Order up the Asia’s 50 Best Iced Tea winner (gin, rum, sparkling wine, green tea, osmanthus & elderflower), the Afternoon Tea Punch (gin, dark rum, Earl Grey Tea, sugar & lime) or the Hibiscus Cocktail (vodka, hibiscus tea, passion

Feeling broken? Get yourself fixed at the Liquorium in Paris, which offers an inventive twist on the old-school apothecary, with cocktails playfully presented as cure-alls at its speakeasymeets cabinet of curiosities setting. Try a Hocus Pocus (Remy Martin, yuzu syrup, Earl Grey, Bourgoin Verjus, egg white & thyme). If you’d prefer a non-alcoholic tipple, sip on a Doctor Pepper (homemade turmeric and pepper puree, Rooibos tea, pineapple juice, coconut soy milk and maple syrup). liquorium.fr

Literature lovers will adore San Francisco’s Novela, where cocktails take their inspiration from classic tomes by Shakespeare and Hemingway against the bar’s chromatically classified book collection. The seasonal menu currently includes Bagger Vance, a cool blend of Bourbon, papaya, lemon and breakfast tea that takes its creative cues from Steve Pressfield’s 1995 novel, The Legend of Bagger Vance. There’s also handcrafted seasonal punches on tap, including Bourbon, which sees the spirit muddled with blueberry, apricot and green tea and grapefruit, and Vodka, a refreshing mix of white peach, cardamom tea, italicus and lemon. novelasf.com

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Top Tables

Cooking Up

A Storm

PUCK IT UP

New openings worth checking out in Hong Kong, Perth and Bali

Wolfgang Puck Kitchen, Hong Kong International Airport Chef Wolfgang Puck continues to expand his global restaurant empire with his first restaurant in Hong Kong, Wolfgang Puck Kitchen, at the arrivals hall of Hong Kong International Airport. Delivering a Californianinspired interpretation of global comfort fare, the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner and late-night suppers. While the breakfast menu offers a selection of hearty American-style breakfast essentials, the à la carte menu presents a contemporary twist on classic comfort dishes, like the chef’s signature pizzas and pastas, and utilises local and organic ingredients where possible. wolfgangpuck.com

WAFFLED TO PERFECTION

Duck & Waffle, Hong Kong Located in ifc mall, its first location outside of London, Duck & Waffle’s dishes offer a distinct take on British cuisine with European and American influences centred around the dish the restaurant takes its name from, like confit duck leg sandwiched between a fluffy waffle and fried duck egg topped with homemade mustard maple syrup. Inspired by deep frying the traditional Chinese bao, the spiced ox cheek doughnut is filled with slow-braised ox cheek, mixed with cream cheese, herbs and spices, then rolled in smoked paprika sugar, in true doughnut style. Another London favourite featured is the vegetarian-friendly puy lentils with sweet onion ragout and miso yogurt and sprinkled with toasted buckwheat. duckandwaffle.com

AVOCADO AFICIONADO Avobar, Hong Kong

London’s avocado-themed restaurant Avobar has landed in Hong Kong at K11 Musea. A casual dining concept, the allday menu offers healthy comfort food, from brunch dishes and bowls to salads and sharing plates, each with its own avocado twist. Want brunch? Order up some matcha pancakes served with homemade avobutter and a sweet or savoury topping, or the ultimate avo toast, deconstructed with sliced avo, guacamole, poached eggs along with a side of avo lime jam and sourdough toast. Other signature dishes include the infamous avo bun burger, a sweet potato and red lentil patty sandwiched between two halves of an avocado. facebook.com/avobarhk

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Top Tables PRIMED FOR STEAK

Henry, Rosewood Hong Kong Rosewood Hong Kong’s newest dining addition is Henry, a meat-focused restaurant that celebrates the time-honoured American steak tradition and led by seasoned British chef Nathan Green, who has a passion for sustainable nose-to-tail cooking and live-fire grilling. The restaurant is pure comfort, with leather banquettes and a feature bar overlooking the terrace with treeline views extending to Signal Hill park, with a private dining room for more intimate gatherings.

While the kitchen’s prized wood-fired ovens cook each cut to perfection, meat enthusiasts will also appreciate the dry-aged produce stored and displayed in a visible meat locker. The portion of the restaurant spilling out into the plaza is Henry’s butcher shop, where his dry-aged meats homemade terrines, sausages and bacon are available to purchase. rosewoodhotels.com

HYDEAWAY

Hyde Kitchen + Cocktails, Perth With an outdoor pool, sun loungers and DJ decks, Hyde Perth Kitchen + Cocktails looks set to be one of Perth’s most stylish restaurants and bars. The interior is the vision of designer Carlie Milosevic, who designed the Hacienda Sydney, widely recognised as one of the world’s most Instagrammable bars. For breakfast, there’s baklava pancakes and mushroom pockets, while the lunch & dinner menu includes Lamb T-Bone and Chicken Marbella. Pair it with some bottomless fries (refillable for an hour), which feature creative toppings including Moroccan spice and harissa aioli, and saffron tahini, pinenuts & basil. restaurants.accor.com

BALINESE CHILLOUT Café del Mar, Bali

Known for its dazzling sunsets and euphonic music sessions, Ibiza’s iconic lifestyle brand Café Del Mar has opened on Batu Belig along the celebrated Canggu shoreline, with guests invited to drop in for lunch that lingers on ‘til sundown as they soak up the beats and the blissed-out ambience. The restaurant menu embraces Mediterranean cuisine, with a focus on dishes from the South of Italy, Spain and France alongside sushi plates.

Alternatively, head over to the beach club to chill out at the poolside dining area with dishes including Moroccan lamb meatballs and oxtail lumpia with tamarillo sambal, which can be paired with a pomelo and tamarind daquiri. cafedelmarbali.id

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Restaurant Review

A CHEF’S JOURNEY

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itsuru Konishi is a household name in many parts of Asia – especially if that house is filled with avid foodies. The Japanese chef has cooked at the likes of two Michelin-starred L’ATELIER de Joël Robuchon in Tokyo, and Taillevent in Paris, where he was the historic restaurant’s first Japanese sous chef. Closer to home, Konishi is known for his bold yet elegant culinary style, which combines Japanese precision and French tradition, and which earned Hong Kong’s Wagyu Takumi (now Takumi by Daisuke Mori) two Michelin stars during his tenure.

After almost three years of musing behind the scenes as a consulting chef for Lai Sun Dining, Konishi returns with a Central eatery that’s every bit an extension of his own personality.

Tucked away on On Lan Street, guests arrive on the 29th floor where an elegant and intimate lounge features Art Deco-esque

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accents in turquoise and powder blue, and a spacious terrace populated by rattan lounges.

However, the real show takes place down a narrow timber staircase that opens into the Dining Room, where Konishi explores his undeniable talents with playful flavour and texture combinations. Catering to just 38 guests, the restaurant is the perfect canvas on which Konishi presents his philosophy of seasonality and elevated tradition.

Our meal commences with freshly baked pain de campagne and brioche made by a local bakery to Konishi’s own exacting recipe, which is matched with house-churned butter topped with soy sauce powder, green tea extract and Spanish olive oil.

Three amuse bouches follow; heavenly soft sponge cake is topped with grilled Japanese summer sweet corn, corn puree, and savoury popcorn. In another curious mouthful, chi ayu, a seasonal Japanese moss-fed river fish, is encrusted with crispy rice, wrapped in shiso leaves, and emboldened with umeboshi, fermented and salted Japanese plum. Lastly, sweet Delaware grapes, crispy spring roll skin, and chicken liver are layered on delicate Galette Bretonne biscuits.

A true conversation piece, The Green Garden is Konishi’s brow furrower: the dish boasts 20 types of vegetables and herbs, including celery root, fennel jelly, olive crumble, crispy quinoa, edamame, green asparagus tips, fresh dill, marigold and mustard greens, as well as micro herbs sourced from organic farms in the New Territories. The flavours are bound by an earthy yet subtle injection of shiso pesto, a dash of citrus, and a drizzle of clear Australian romaine tomato extraction.

The next course couldn’t be more different.

Konishi braises Australian abalone in sake and kombu (Japanese kelp) to create an al dente texture and enhanced flavour, before pairing it with boiled pearl barley, slowcooked Chinese cabbage, and abalone liver foam. Gone is the rubbery texture of the abalone, replaced instead by succulent flesh mellowed by the grain and spiked by the ginger-laced foam.

Konishi continues to play with texture in the first main dish, black-throated sea perch.

The chef offsets the delicate white fish with semi-dried enoki wrapped in sautéed Chinese spinach, which tops a gooey walnut gyuhi, a mochi-like rice cake.

For something more substantial, lamb from the Pyrenees is roasted and presented with homemade eggplant caviar with touches of shallot and garlic. The lamb is pink and perfectly cooked, the plump meat balanced with a hint of heat and sweetness.

Our final dish is more straightforward but no less effective: homemade coconut sorbet counterbalances meringue and passion fruit cream, tamed by slices of mandarin and pink grapefruit and topped with edible flowers.

ZEST by Konishi tells the story of a chef’s own journey, with cuisine that showcases his learned precision and technique and playful, understated nature to perfection. The ninecourse degustation menu is priced from HK$1,380 (US$176) per person, with paired wine for an additional HK$780 (US$99) per person.

28F & 29F, 18 On Lan Street, Central, Hong Kong; zestbykonishihk.com

Spirits

Artisanal Flavour Raise a toast to gin-themed gift boxes featuring the St. George Atlas orange gin

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From London to Singapore, the thirst for boutique, artisanal gins is far from quenched, and the diverse range of bottles just keeps on growing. One variant that should be on any gin lovers’ radar is the St. George Atlas orange gin, an exclusive collaboration between the Atlas bar in Singapore and California-based artisanal distillery St. George’s Spirits. A celebration of Seville and Bergamot oranges and Valencia Orange Blossom, this contemporary iteration of an orange gin is citrus-forward, with a burst of sweet blossom and prominent savoury botanicals.

Available exclusively at Atlas, the sets are available in one of three options: a 200ml bottle of St. George Atlas orange gin with a crystal Waterford coupe engraved with the Atlas logo; two 200ml bottles of St. George Atlas orange gin; or two 200ml bottles of St. George Atlas orange gin and a pair of Art Deco crystal Waterford coupe glasses. Each gift box also contains a recipe card for the Atlas Orange Blossom cocktail developed by head bartender Jesse Vida should you want to put your cocktail shaking skills to the test.

The gift sets are available while stocks last either directly from Atlas or via info@atlasbar.sg. The St. George Atlas orange gin can additionally be purchased separately at S$48 for a 200ml bottle, or S$148 for a 700ml bottle. atlasbar.sg

Treat the gin lover in your life to a new variant, the St. George Atlas orange gin

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Watches

Hand Made

Horology Gruebel Forsey’s Hand Made 1 takes traditional watchmaking to a new level

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hose who appreciate the art of watchmaking will undoubtedly appreciate Gruebel Forsey’s latest timepiece, the Hand Made 1. With 95 per cent of components made by hand using only hand-operated tools, this extraordinary watch was 6,000 hours in the making.

In true Greubel Forsey style, the atelier attributes equal importance to the invisible beauty of all the parts concealed inside the case. The regulating organ was entirely produced by hand, including the balance spring, which was fashioned from an alloy in the atelier then rolled in a hand-operated rolling mill. All the Hand Made 1’s movement’s components are hand finished including the bridges, the “Gratté” mainplate, and the wheels with hand polished bevels top and bottom. The open dial, meanwhile, features hand-enamelled chapter rings, which are paired with finely shaped flame-blue steel hands. As you’d expect, the 18k white gold case is also handmade, thanks to a pantograph mechanical lathe fitted with turning tools.

The Hand Made 1 is limited to just two or three timepieces a year

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Limited to just two or three timepieces per year, the painstaking processes required to construct this unique timepiece are substantiated on the dial at 6 o’clock, where the inscription “hand made” replaces the usual “Swiss made”. greubelforsey.com

Watches

Born To Fly Bremont’s MWII Flying Tiger pays tribute to the first American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, aka the Flying Tigers

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esigned in collaboration with renowned actor and aviator Michael Wong, the MWII Flying Tiger is named after the first American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force in 1941-1942, who were nicknamed the Flying Tigers.

Based on the design of the U-2 range, which was originally developed for a select number of elite military squadrons, the latest timepiece from the British watchmaker has significant aviation pedigree.

It takes design inspiration from a military project commissioned by the RAF’s 100 Squadron, the first squadron formed for night bombing back in 1917, to celebrate their centenary and complement their Hawk T1 Jet aircraft.

Bremont’s MWII Flying Tiger was designed with actor & aviator Michael Wong

The timepiece incorporates the brand’s trademark vintage ‘51’ lume, originally found on the limited edition P-51, together with heat-treated steel blued hands. The MW Michael Wong logo features at 9 o’clock with the Flying Tigers logo in the centre of the dial. The white stylised five-petal Hong Kong Bauhinia flower, symbolic of the Hong Kong flag, sits on the end of the bottom crown with a star at the end of the top crown.

Turning the watch over reveals an exhibition case back showing the automatic movement through tinted black smoked glass. Limited to 500 pieces, it comes with three different barrel colour options: black, blue and bronze. bremont.com

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Make booking in europcar.com with the promo code 53881114

MOVE YOUR SKY

Watches Chopard’s Alpine Eagle has a blue textured dial evocative of an raptor’s iris

The Eagle Has Landed

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Chopard’s Alpine Eagle takes its design cues from an 80s icon, its St. Moritz sports watch

riven by Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s passion for the Alps and the bird that swoops over this iconic mountain range, the Alpine Eagle is a reinterpretation of the maison’s much-loved St. Moritz, the first watch Scheufele created back in 1980.

To bring the Alpine Eagle to life, Chopard created a new material, Lucent Steel A223, partially composed of recycled stainless steel and with properties comparable to surgical steel. Highly dermo-compatible, it is 50 per cent more resistant to abrasion than conventional steels.

Beating to the rhythm of a Chopard chronometercertified movement, the watch features a wealth

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of references. Its rock-like textured dial evokes an eagle’s iris while its hands call to mind the raptor’s feathers. The dial colour, meanwhile, directly refers to the shades of Alpine ranges: Aletsch Blue for the bluish shimmer of the largest glacier in the Swiss Alps; Bernina Grey for the rock of the mountain chain bearing this name; Frosted White for the mother-ofpearl dial; and Sils Grey for the Tahitian mother-ofpearl dial, whose iridescent gleam is evocative of Lake Sils near St. Moritz.

Issued in ten references in steel, gold, bi-material or diamond-set gold, Chopard’s latest offering is available in two different diameters: 41mm and 36mm, the former boasting a 60-hour power reserve while the latter has a 42-hour power reserve.

Movements are visible on both through a transparent sapphire crystal back. chopard.com

Watches

Built

for Speed Singer Reimagined’s Emirates Edition represents the fifth watch in its award-winning Track1 collection

Sporting character: Singer Reimagined’s Emirates Edition

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ollowing its participation in the Dubai Watch Week 2019 last November, fledgling watch brand Singer Reimagined launched the fifth edition of the Singer Track1 collection, the Emirates Edition. Its awardwinning sports chrono, which scooped Best Chronograph at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) in 2018 for its Hong Kong edition of the Track1, continues to win over the wrist of many a watch aficionado.

The Emirates Edition features a striking khaki green dial and is presented in a ceramic-aluminium case that offers the durability of the former and the

lightness of the latter, while matte finishing delivers cool contrast to the polished titanium details obtained through ZrN treatment, which not only looks good but also improves resistance to wear and tear.

The dial allows for maximum readability as all chronograph functions are presented on a central counter, with the time of day displayed on the periphery of the dial with an index at 6 o’clock showing time against two rotating disks for minutes and hours. Limited to just 25 pieces, the watch is presented on a sporty khaki green textile strap, with custommade straps available on request. singerreimagined.com

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Wishlist

WRIST CANDY Ready to invest in your first collector’s item? One brand leads the pack, and that’s Patek…

The Ref. 6300A010 Grandmaster Chime recently fetched US$24.2 million at auction

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hile some watch brands focus their energies on issuing new models, Patek Philippe continues to pride itself on its exclusivity, and it’s still the ultimate piece of wrist candy for anyone looking to make a serious purchase or start a collection. Indeed, thanks to its intricate complications and popularisation of movements including perpetual calendars and minute repeaters, Patek is easily the most successful watch brand at the auction houses.

Among the world's top ten most expensive watches ever sold at auction, seven are Pateks, with rival brands Rolex, Vacheron Constantin and Breguet a very distant second.

In the course of celebrating its 180th anniversary in 2019, the brand made two record-breaking auction appearances. Its oneof-a kind piece for the Only Watch auction, the

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Ref. 6300A-010 Grandmaster Chime (pictured), a mode of its most complicated wristwatch in a unique steel version, became the most expensive watch in the world after a bidding war that topped out at US$24.2 million. The brand’s most complex wristwatch features 20 complications, including five acoustic functions, two of which are patented global premières: an alarm that strikes the preprogrammed alarm time and a date repeater that sounds the date on demand.

In the same month, Christie’s Hong Kong sold a Patek Philippe L’ Heure Bleue Ref. 2523 for more than US$9 million, making it the most expensive wristwatch ever to be auctioned in Asia. So if you’re looking for an investment piece, Patek really should be your first port of call. And who knows, one of these two extraordinary watches might even make it back onto the auction circuit… patek.com

Tech

S WIRED FOR SOUND

ince its launch in 2014, New York Citybased audio brand Master & Dynamic has released several award-winning audio products, most recently the MW07 true wireless earphones, which scooped the Red Dot Award for Product Design in 2019.

Not a fan of big cans? Then these discreet true wireless earphones from New York based brand Master & Dynamic might be just the ticket

Its latest additions, the MW07 Go and MW07 Plus represent the next generation of true wireless earphones, with the former being the most lightweight and durable earphones it has debuted to date. Available in flame red, jet black, electric blue and stone grey, they deliver 10 hours of listening time fully charged with an additional 12 hours of battery life from the charging case.

The MW07 Plus boast 40 hours of battery life – three times that of the first generation MW07 – and Bluetooth 5.0 with 30m/100ft connection range. Dual beamforming noise reduction mic arrays, one on each earphone, provide bestin-class talk performance while 10mm custom Beryllium drivers deliver brilliant sound. They are available in three core colourways.tortoiseshell, steel blue, and white marble, and come with a hand-polished stainless steel charging case and soft pouch for storage. A new feature, Ambient Listening Mode, enables users to tune into their surroundings for added awareness and safety, while Feedforward Active Noise-Cancellation reduces background noise. masterdynamic.com

Tune into great sound quality with these true wireless headphones

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Luggage

I INTAGE

VIOLET

Brighten up your luggage collection with a piece or two from Globe Trotter’s Deluxe Collection, which is now available in amethyst

Add a dash of retro to your luggage repertoire with a Globe Trotter case

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f you’re yearning for luggage that recalls the golden age of travel, when ladies & gents were trailed by handsome-looking trunks as they boarded a train or luxury liner, then you’ll love the retro glamour of Globe Trotter. Established in 1897, each case is handcrafted in the UK using manufacturing methods and machinery that date back to the Victorian era. With several high-profile collaborations to its name – it created a one-of-a-kind case for the Skyfall movie and has partnered with Paul Smith – the brand additionally offers a bespoke service so customers can create their own unique case with special colours, finishes, lining and initialling.

One of Globe Trotter’s most popular ranges is the Deluxe Edition, which is characterised by two smart internal straps and luxuriant leather corners.

The brand has recently introduced an amethyst colourway to this collection, which features a highgloss finish and plush interior lining. Inspired by the colours and hues of the amethyst gemstone, the collection ranges from a handbag-sized miniature case to a capacious 33-incher. When you’re stood at the baggage carousel waiting for your luggage, one of these violet gems is sure to stand out among the usual sea of black cases. globe-trotter.com

Style

PRE-SPRING

STATEMENTS

Add a dash of glam to your wardrobe with an extraordinary accessory or two from Bottega Veneta’s Pre Spring collection

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he best accessories can transform a look from one thing into another, seamlessly taking your outfit from day to night, casual to formal and vice versa. Bottega Veneta’s pre-Spring collection for 2020 has plenty of such pieces, such as the mirrored Pyramid bag, a clutch that enables you to check your make-up on the go that’s held by a leather wrist strap. Similarly spectacular are its open toe heels in gold –just the ticket for showing off your new pedicure on a night out yet won’t have you reaching for that pair of flats in your bag after a few hours on your feet. Presented in silver or gold, Bottega’s new ring collection take a natural bamboo shape and have an antique

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finish for a retro vibe. Sunglasses are a staple, and this classic-looking pair in metallic silver with movie star quality are sure to turn heads next time you’re at a beach bar or having lunch with friends.

Looking for a bag that will perch effortlessly on your arm during a night out with the girls? The shoulder pouch in craquele is a stylish choice that’s sure to be a feature of your wardrobe for years to come. Most outlandish of all its prespring pieces is the metallic sponge pouch, a soft voluminous clutch in foiled looped lambskin that, as the name suggests, takes on a uniquely spongy form. Flaunt it you dare. bottegaventa.com

Beauty Travel

ROOM TO

GROOM

Transform your travel wash bag by incorporating these grooming essentials into your daily routine

Schmidt’s Here+Now Natural Deodorant US beauty brand Schmidt's Here+Now is a baking soda-free natural deodorant co-created with Grammynominated artist Justin Bieber, who helped select the gender-neutral fragrance and co-design the packaging.

With Bieber in tow, the brand is furthering its mission to make effective natural products more widely accessible. The brand prioritises physical and mental wellness, and the name of the new deodorant is intended to celebrate small, yet intentional, choices that lead to happier and healthier lives. schmidts.com

Tiege Hanley Facial Wash Tiege Hanley’s subscriptionbased service delivers a no-fuss approach to men’s skin health. Feeling tired and washed out after that gruelling long haul flight?

Wake yourself up by lathering on some Tiege Hanley Facial Wash, which recently scooped Cleanser Product of the Year at the 2019 Beauty Independent Innovation Awards in the US. Designed for use morning and night to remove dirt, grime and excess oil, and reduce redness and inflammation without over-drying the skin, it simplifies the process of finding effective, clinically relevant skin care. tiege.com

Bulldog Skincare Range

British men’s skincare brand Bulldog Skincare is set to become the first international skincare brand to maintain its Leaping Bunny approved status, the globally recognisable gold standard for cruelty-free products, while on sale in mainland China. Created from aloe, camelina and green tea, there are three key products in the range: face wash, face scrub and face wash. bulldogskincare.com

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Tee Off

L Japanese Precision

Miura Golf’s Milled Tour Wedge High Bounce boosts playability while maintaining precision

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ooking for some inspiration to up your game? Then consider investing in Miura Golf’s Milled Tour Wedge High Bounce (HB). Delivering the soft feel golfers covet thanks to the renowned Miura forging process, the new wedge increases playability while maintaining precision and control. Miura executive vice president Jason Rutkowski believes the new design elements should appeal to those that have a steeper angle of attack on wedges.

The new tour-inspired head shape confidently aligns the golfer, enabling pinpoint accuracy.

Using premium soft carbon steel, the Tour Wedge HB boasts a wider sole that tapers from toe to heel, allowing for a more effective bounce along the middle of the sole. The added C Grind (heel and toe relief) and camber (front to back relief) is more forgiving than many similar wedges.

Utilising its renowned forging process in Himeji, Miura, produced a grain structure within the head that is the tightest in the industry.

The head design of the Tour Wedge HB will match with any of Miura’s iron models. Lofts are available in 50°-62° in two-degree increments to configure the perfect set. miuragolf.com

Auto The third generation of the marque’s Flying Spur is the most advanced Bentley ever built

Bentley’s Flying Spur delivers the duality of sports sedan agility and modern limousine refinement

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ast year was particularly memorable for British motor brand Bentley, which celebrated its centenary in 2019 with a series of celebrations at high-profile events including Le Mans, Goodwood and Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance. Its latest Grand Tourer, the third generation Flying Spur, also went into production in the Autumn, with first deliveries set for early 2020. Ahead of delivery, the brand launched an augmented reality app for the car, which enables users to take the new model on a test drive and play around with multiple specifications.

The third generation of the marque’s grand tourer is the most advanced Bentley ever built, reinvented to showcase a more purposeful, emotional design. Hand-built in Britain, the sedan’s athletic stance benefits from an extended wheelbase, while a retractable Bentley ‘Flying B’ mascot

features for the first time on a modern-day Flying Spur.

The new model is powered by an enhanced version of Bentley’s six-litre, twin-turbocharged W12, which sets the benchmark in performance, agility and dynamism for the segment. Mated to an advanced dual-clutch eight-speed transmission, it has a top speed of 207 mph (333 km/h), and a 0-60mph time of 3.7 seconds (0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds).

Electronic all-wheel steering is used for the first time in a Bentley, combining with active all-wheel drive and Bentley Dynamic Ride – the world’s first 48V electric antiroll system. New, three-chamber air springs offer a much greater range of suspension adjustment between limousine-style ride comfort and sporting levels of body control. bentleymotors.com

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Culture

Art APPRECIATION The new-look MoMA encourages visitors to change the way they think about art

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challenge histories of modern art and the current cultural moment. Through new commissions, festivals, and residencies, visitors can directly engage with artists and works in process and see emerging works in dialogue.

The world’s first dedicated space for performance, process, and time-based art to be centrally integrated within the galleries of a major museum, The MarieJosée and Henry Kravis Studio features live programming and performances that

Visitors can continue the conversation at the Paula and James Crown Creativity Lab, a new space to explore ideas that arise from the museum’s collection and exhibitions. Guests are encouraged to drop in and participate in conversations, engage with artists, make art… or just chill. Street-level galleries, free and open to all on the expanded ground floor, will better connect the museum to New York City and bring art closer to people on the streets of midtown Manhattan. moma.org

ne of New York’s bestloved museums, MoMA, recently debuted a new look from its swish Manhattan space on 11 West 53rd Street. The expansion, developed by MoMA with architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, in collaboration with Gensler, adds more than 40,000 square feet of gallery spaces and enables the museum to exhibit significantly more art in new, interdisciplinary ways.

MoMA’s radical overhaul seeks to challenge the way we think about art

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“I must confess

that I like your book as it encourages more international co-operation in various forms!”

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has received considerable critical attention from the infrastructure, political and media worlds. Most reports and articles on the subject are confused at best, when they are not completely misinformed or contradictory. To date there has been little agreement on the number of BRI projects, amounts spent, dates, and geographical distribution. A global information warfare campaign of mis-information, dis-information, and intoxication is currently at play about the BRI, which direct result is to confuse the situation even more...

This book critically examines what China’s BRI is about, clarifies the confusion, and answers many questions.

It includes a first-time-ever-published list and statistical tables of all the BRI projects up to December 31st, 2018. This work also demonstrates how instrumental the BRI is to globalization, which in itself is conducive to humanity’s evolution.

It describes humanity’s five key choke points, and apprehends how China and the BRI are addressing them.

“It is an excellent, comprehensive and detailed treatment of the Belt and Road Initiative. This book is far more useful than almost anything written on the topic.” Parag Khanna, Author of Connectography, New York, USA “I trust this book would provide a good road map for policy makers and infrastructure developers in any developing countries amidst complex geo-political circumstances.” Dr. D. J. Pandian, Vice President and Chief

Investment Officer, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Beijing, China